


Out of the Darkness

by FloraDelirus



Category: High Mountain Rangers
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-26
Updated: 2012-03-26
Packaged: 2017-11-02 13:38:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 32,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/369553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FloraDelirus/pseuds/FloraDelirus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cody meets someone in one of his college classes that starts a relationship that slowly becomes something special for the both of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> All HMR and Jesse Hawkes characters are property of A Shane Co and Sibling Rivalry. I don’t own them. This is strictly for entertainment purposes only. I, however, do own any original characters that are created for this story.

August 5th –  
University of Nevada, Reno  
First day of Fall Semester classes

Cody ran across the campus. How had he overslept? Damn, it’s not like this was his first year of college. It was his third actually, his Junior year. His first class of the semester this year was Range and Forest Plants. Not that he needed it but it was part of the course requirements to get a minor in Range and Forest Management. He had only a handful of classes left to take for this minor but this particular class he couldn’t take when it was offered in his freshmen year due to a scheduling conflict. He turned the corner of the Fleischmann Greenhouse and put on a little more speed. He could hopefully make it and only be fifteen minutes late. It did his ego some good as he entered the classroom building to see he wasn’t the only one who was going to be late as other students scrambled into the building looking blurry-eyed. Unfortunately, he was apparently the only one late for his class.

He took a moment to brush his hair back with his fingers to make it look less wind blown as he caught his breath. He opened the door and stepped in, letting the door close quietly behind him. 

“Nice to see you again Mr. Hawkes. I thought perhaps you'd lost your way.” Mr. Falks looked up over his glasses to the back of the room where Cody stood. 

Mr. Falks was a hard ass, but he was also the best teacher Cody had had. He challenged Cody like none of the other teachers had and though there was no true love lost between the two they had respect for one another. He’d won Mr. Falks appreciation towards him by being informed and asking in depth questions while everyone else seemed to want a ‘bird course’. A 'bird course' was a class you ‘flew’ right through. However, Cody was a sponge for knowledge and information and thus, Mr. Falks came to look forward to Cody’s attendance in his classes.

“Sorry,” Cody said politely. “Won’t happen again.” 

He had overslept because he’d arrived on campus only just last night, had to move what little gear he had into the dorm room, get his books and try to figure out which way was up with his schedule. He had even taken the time to read the first chapter of his books for his classes today before going to bed. Unfortunately, it didn’t help that his roommate this year was a loudmouth and wouldn’t shut up his constant yelling up and down the hall with his ‘buddies’ from last year until the wee hours of the morning. It had made for a short night.

“See that it doesn’t,” Mr. Falks said, closing the folder on his desk with a snap. “You’ve missed the introduction to the class. There are syllabuses on the back desk. We’ve already paired off with partners, so unfortunately you get last pick. I believe Ms Wagner doesn’t have a partner yet,” he said indicating the quiet woman sitting in the third row from the back of the room by herself. 

Cody was familiar with Mr. Falks partnering system. You got a partner at the beginning of the semester and you stayed partners until the end of the term doing projects together, working on research and what not unless one dropped out. If one failed, both failed. Mr. Falks was a strong believer in teamwork. The room wasn’t large, holding only twenty short tables, each big enough for two chairs and the class wasn’t more than half full.

Cody nodded and moved over towards the available seat that had been indicated and sat down. The woman next to him had long brown hair that was braided down her back with short bangs in the front. She wore glasses but they were heavily tinted a brown color, going from dark at the top to lighter at the bottom. She had a pretty kind of face, sweet like you’d see on one of the romance novels Jim used to read and yet intelligent at the same time. She was slim but not stick-skinny like many of the girls on campus thought was fashionable. She looked like she probably worked out or did a bit of physical activity and had a healthy glow about her. Her clothes were nothing outstanding, looking more like an average student; jeans, short sleeved shirt and tennis shoes. She had no book, paper or pens in front of her, only a tape recorder that was obviously running to record what the teacher said. 

“Hi,” he whispered to her as he sat his backpack on the floor, flipping open the syllabus he’d picked up on his way to his seat. 

“Hi,” she said back quietly, smiling a little but not looking at him.

Cody thought it a little odd that she hadn’t even glanced his way or introduced herself but perhaps she was just shy or focused on what Mr. Falk was talking about. It was probably best to introduce himself later when they had a break or at the end of the class. He turned his attention to the teacher and listened as he talked about the requirements of the course, what the expectations were and the University policies that had to be recited at each class in the beginning about sexual harassment and so forth. Cody had heard these things a hundred times already and his brain disengaged for a few minutes. Finally, Mr. Falk wrote out the upcoming assignment on the board.

Cody pulled out his notebook and pencil, opened it and began writing out what Mr. Falk was scribbling on the board. He listened as he explained about the first project and the chapters needed to be read by the next class on Wednesday. He also noted when the class trips would be to do identification of plants and trees and when the first project was due. Finally Mr. Falk gave the class time to introduce themselves to their partners and work out the logistics of accomplishing the first assignment as a team. 

As he watched the other paired off partners turn to each other and begin talking, causing a low din to rise in the room, he shifted to look at his new partner. “I’m Cody Hawkes,” he said politely.

She turned a little in her chair, her eyes looking in his direction from behind the tinted glasses. He couldn’t make out their color but they looked light, maybe gray or blue. 

“I’m Bella Wagner. It’s nice to meet you Mr. Hawkes,” she said, holding out a hand gracefully and speaking quietly with just a hint of a smile to her lips.

“Likewise. But call me Cody. Mr. Hawkes is my dad.” He shook her hand gently. “So, how do we want to do this?” he asked, referring back to his notes. 

The corner of her lips turned up slightly in a shy attempt at a smile. She tentatively pulled over the tape recorder closer as they worked out a time when they could meet at the library to begin researching the basics for the project.

The class bell rang signaling the end of the class and Cody picked up his backpack. He shoved his text book and notepad into it along with his pencil before standing up and pushing in his chair. He watched as Bella stood, put the tape recorder into a backpack that was empty of books and pushed in her chair. She turned towards him as she reached into her backpack and pulled out what looked like a bundle of white pencils from the front pocket on the pack. 

“It was nice to meet you Cody. I look forward to working with you this semester.” She slung the bag over her shoulder and let the bundle drop towards the ground, keeping a tight hold on the thicker end, wrapped in red tape.

Cody blinked as he realized what it symbolized and looked back up at her. She smiled as if reading his expression. 

“Don’t worry Cody, I won’t let my ‘handicap’ impede our work together,” she said in an almost joking manner and used her free hand to slide along the table behind her until she came to the end. She held the cane up off the floor, parallel with her body and trailed her fingers from one table to the next until she came to the last row. It was obvious to Cody that she had counted them as she went and knew exactly when she’d come to the end of the class room. It was only then that she used her cane to find the door and with a grace that belied her impediment, she opened it and walked out, leaving Cody to stare after her in surprise.

TBC ---


	2. Chapter 2

Cody had two more classes that day so he was kept busy trying to get all the details in on how the semester would shape up. When it was time for supper, he headed to the dining hall attached to his dorm and found a place to sit with his tray. He always watched what he ate here. Thankfully on weekends he was usually back up at the cabin, splitting wood and going for hikes, helping the Rangers…it kept the ‘Freshman 15’ off, but he didn’t take chances though. Tonight was roasted chicken and new potatoes, a bowl of sliced fruit and a sugar cookie. 

He pulled out his notebook as he chewed on a potato and flipped it open to the first page that was for his class in range and forest plants he’d taken. His mind drifted back to the moment he realized Bella was blind. He’d been talking to her at least twenty minutes before the end of class and never picked up that she was. He thought about the way she had ‘looked’ at him, her movements and the grace of her facial and body expressions. She had obviously taken great pains over the years to learn how to move. The couple of blind people he’d met over the years in passing had a stilted way of walking, their eyes looking off into unknown directions or their body and facial movements were ‘off’ because they were not conscious of their ‘self’. She apparently was.

He had a meeting with her tonight at the library and he silently wondered how this ‘partnership’ was going to work out. Didn’t she need eyes to be able to identify plants? What was her story? Everyone had a story. Hell, he had a story. Being a Criminal Justice major with a minor in Range and Forestry management made a few raise an eyebrow. He knew, however, that whatever he took in college would help him in the job of being a Ranger. Sure, he had to try out and there was no guarantee he’d get in but with his background and experience, he wasn’t too worried about it. Besides, he still had a year of schooling left before he was willing to commit to anything other than his degree.

Supper didn’t take long as he reviewed his notes from his classes. Feeling satisfied he had refreshed his memory of the days’ discussions he took his tray to the wash stand and emptied it before putting it on the cart. He shouldered his pack and headed outside to walk the two blocks to the library. It had been a rather warm summer for once and though he wasn’t in his mountains, he could see them in the distance, obscured somewhat due to the haze of the lazy summer evening and the pollution in the air. They were always there and he only had to look southeast to glimpse them.

Entering the library, he made his way upstairs to the student center where you could talk but still had to keep your voice low. The library hadn’t been redecorated in some time. Cody had laughed when he thought that it looked like something had swallowed the 70’s and threw it up on the second floor. The chairs were all orange or brown colored. The walls had posters that were faded by the sun that came in through the windows. Lighting fixtures hung down from the ceiling had that brown faux wood look, not to mention the statue and wall art that screamed 70’s.

He looked around to see if Bella was already here as there were only a few students sat around reading or doing homework. He pulled out his book and notepad, found a pencil and then waited. He opened the textbook and scanned through the chapters that were to be read before Wednesday. He was about to start reading chapter two when movement to his right caught his eye. Bella was walking slowly up the steps, graceful and relaxed as if she did this every day of her life. Her cane was folded up in her hand in case she needed it but she seemed familiar with her surroundings. 

He got up and walked towards her, willing to guide her to his table. As he approached, she came to the top landing and walked forward. She stopped within a few feet of him, “Hello Cody,” she said quietly.

Cody blinked, “How did you…,” he asked before he realized what he was about to say and blushed.

She chuckled softly, “You have a very distinctive…smell.”

He looked at her, perplexed. “Hey, I bathed this month,” he said light heartedly.

She shook her head and laughed, “No. I mean I could tell it was you by the type of soap you use and shaving gel, plus you smell like fresh air as if your clothes were line dried.”

Cody ah’d, “Sorry. Just never….” He stopped, unsure of how to continue.

Bella smiled, “Never…had someone identify you by smell before, correct?” she asked.

Cody nodded then reminded himself she couldn’t see it and spoke, “Yeah.” He was quiet for a moment before continuing, “Hey, I’ve already got us a table.”

She held out her hand to him, “Lead the way my good man,” she said jokingly as he placed her hand on his arm and walked towards the table, making sure there were no obstacles in her way.

Once at the table, he took her hand and placed it on the back of the chair next to him. “Here we are,” he said and moved to his seat to sit down. She pulled out her chair and sat gracefully, pulling the backpack from her shoulders and pulling out the tape recorder. She set it on the table, but didn’t turn it on.

An odd quiet settled about the table. Cody wanted to ask her a few questions about her handicap and how she thought she could take this class but he was afraid of insulting her. Bella finally solved the problem for him. “I’m sure you’re wondering how I can take a class in plant identification when I have no sight.”

He nodded, “Yeah, I uh….I don’t mean to be rude but don’t you need to see to be able to identify the plants?”

Her smile was quiet, causing a soft flush to come to her cheeks. “Most would think so but they often forget there are other senses I can use to make up for my loss of sight. Smell is the major one. Each plant, each person, each organic thing on this earth has a scent, no matter how subtle. Each has a texture that can be felt. Oh and don’t forget about taste. My sense of hearing is also very acute. I use all of these to help me get around and tell what my surroundings are like and who or what is in proximity to me.”

Cody listened in fascination. “I’d be afraid of sensory overload,” he said quietly.

She shrugged, “You learn to adapt, know what to listen to and what to block out. Strangely enough, it’s the same with smell.”

He was quiet for a few moments, “I have to tell you Bella, I had no idea you were blind when we met this morning in class until you pulled out your cane. I’ve seen other blind people and they move in a stilted way and often look as though they are looking off in some odd direction.”

Bella blushed a little, “My parents are...how shall I put it, dissatisfied that I was born blind. They took great pains to make me appear normal so not to ‘shock’ anyone that might come to visit. So I was taught how to dance, how to play piano, how to control my eyes and facial features, to control my movements…all for appearances and to make them look good.”

Cody looked at her, trying to imagine what life must have been like for her when she was little. “Well it’s obviously worked well in your favor.”

She laughed, “I guess so. I’ve actually had people accuse me of only pretending to be blind.”

He raised an eyebrow, “Oh really? Anyway, thanks for explaining things to me. What do you need me to do to help you with this class?” he asked.

She smiled with a touch of shyness, “Be patient. I may be able to use my other senses to identify things but it takes me a little longer because I have to put everything together to get an end result. Plus, help me get a hold of plants that I can handle to learn from since again, it takes time to process all of the input.”

Cody smiled, “I think I can manage that,” he said. “So, what’s it to be for our first project?” he asked, going right into the reason they were here.

TBC ---


	3. Chapter 3

They finished up their session at the library about 8pm. As they were preparing to part company, Cody looked outside at the growing dark. 

“Let me walk you home. It’s getting dark and I know I kept us here later than I should have,” he said. He had several ideas for their project and they had worked to find information for each one before finally settling on a topic.

“I’m not afraid of the dark you know,” she said with a touch of a smirk to her lips. “But since you so graciously offered, how can I refuse.” 

As they walked out onto the campus grounds, he let her set the pace. She used her cane to lightly tap against the sidewalk now and then to make sure it was still a few steps ahead of her. They remained quiet as they crossed to the south quarter which was a big open field often used for impromptu games of soccer or baseball during the good weather. There was still a handful of people out there tonight, finishing up a game of flag football as they passed by.

“So, what’s your major?” she asked, finally getting the courage up to ask him a little about his personal life.

“I’m working towards a major in Criminal Justice but a minor in Forest Management,” he stated evenly, slowing his steps a little as she came to the fork in the sidewalk at the end of the open field.

She knew after the several years she’d been here that left lead to the center of campus while right lead to ‘The Hill’ where all the bars were located along with the book store, the pizza shop and the drug store that she lived above. She made sure her feet were firmly planted on the right branch of the sidewalk before continuing.

“That’s…interesting,” she commented. “Why the two degrees? They seem pretty different fields of study.”

She heard Cody’s backpack rub up against his shirt, then back down in a shrug. “I want to try out for the High Mountain Rangers after I graduate. Anything I take in either field will be useful to me on the job.”

“A High Mountain Ranger? Aren’t they the search and rescue unit out of Tahoe?” She’d heard of them in the news when she’d first arrived in Reno to attend college four years ago. She tried to remember about what but she couldn’t come up with anything. 

“Yeah. That’s them. My dad started the Rangers almost thirty years ago and my brother used to be the commander until he got hurt in a drug bust. Now he runs a bounty hunter business out of San Francisco with my dad.” 

She could hear the pride in his voice as he talked about his family but when he mentioned the bounty hunting, she noted the decline in his spirit as if it upset him or he was simply disappointed about something.

She was quiet for a few moments as she walked along listening to the trees in the slight breeze telling her where she was on the walk home. Every location along this path had a different sound from the trees to the way sound bounced off buildings.

“What about you? What are you working towards?” He asked curiously.

She let a little air escape from between her lips, “Liberal Arts?” 

“You don’t sound so sure about that,” Cody replied.

It was her turn to shrug. “Yes, well the best I can hope for when I graduate is a teaching job to teach other blind children how to read. At least that’s all the councilor can come up with for me when I go to check out what’s new for job listings.” She frowned as she thought about how he patronized her and tried to be rid of her as quickly as possible. She felt frustrated about how she was made to feel as though she was wasting his time.

“Huh…,” Cody commented in an off way. “So what type of classes have you taken?”

“Anything that didn’t involve power tools,” she quipped with a big grin on her face as she turned her head towards him a little.

Cody laughed and to her surprise it sent shivers of pleasure up her spine, making her heart race a little faster.

“Well?” she asked in a bemused way. “I’ve taken just about anything I can from math to art to sciences. I love to learn and it gives me a sense of pleasure to be able to learn things that might have been out of most blind peoples’ realm.”

“Good for you,” he said with the sound of laughter to his words as if he was somehow proud of her. 

They finally crossed the street corner, technically leaving campus grounds. Half way down a row of buildings, they came to the small drug store and she stood outside the locked side door. She held out her hand to him, “Thanks for walking me home. Wednesday morning then?” she asked in way of confirming he would be in class.

He took her hand and gave it a brief shake and a light squeeze, something that had made her flush slightly. “You can count on it. And this time I won’t be late,” he chuckled and waited until she was safely inside before heading back to his dorm room.

\--------------------------------------------

After saying goodnight to Cody, she locked the street level door behind her. She walked slowly up the stairs to her place and stood on the landing for a moment as she searched for the right key. 

Bella’s hands trembled as fumbled with the key, finally getting it into the lock. Once inside, she shut the door to her tiny second floor apartment and fumbled with the chain and lock until she heard the bolt slide home. She stood with her back against the door, her mind reeling from the time she’d just spent with Cody. Her heart beat quickly in her chest and she wondered if this was what people meant by ‘love at first sight’. 

She snorted. ‘Sight’ was overrated but her hands were sweaty and her heart didn’t want to slow down any time soon as the scent of him was still lingering in her nose

She pushed off from the door and walked to the kitchenette, opening the fridge and pulling out a couple of hot dogs. Her hands trailed to the cupboard handle, pulling it open to searched for a small plate she could heat them on in the microwave. A few moments later found the hot dogs going around in circles inside the appliance tucked into the corner on the small counter. She listened to the sizzle and pop of the meat until she felt they’d been in long enough and pushed the stop button. 

Finding the ketchup in the fridge door, she squirted some on the plate and took it with her to the living room. Finding the remote she flipped on the TV to listen to the news as she ate the plain hot dogs dipped in ketchup with nothing but her fingers. Some things should never be touched by utensils.

She ignored what was on the TV as she thought back to their conversation on the way to her place. When the hot dogs were but a memory, she got up out of her chair and took the plate to the sink and washed off what was left of the ketchup. She went to where she’d dropped her book bag and pulled out the recorder, rewinding it and sat it on the table next to her chair. She turned off the TV and pressed the play button. His voice came to life in her living room and she leaned back in her chair and listened, her lips curled up at the corners, her cheeks feeling flushed.

TBC ---


	4. Chapter 4

Cody left Bella at her apartment door once she was inside and he had heard the door lock. He walked back the way they had come, avoiding the bars farther down the block. The crowd of college students was already spilling out onto the streets as kids celebrated their first day back to school. 

He had been uncertain about how she could help do research if she couldn’t read what was in the books. She had disappeared for awhile and when she came back, she had a printed list in both printing and brail, of books they should look for. He helped find them and brought them back to the table. With a little discussion, prompted by her asking intuitive questions about the direction of their project, it helped him narrow down the information they needed. She marked the ones they needed on the printout and put it in her backpack. She had told him she had the ability to get the books either in brail if they were available or a recording of it. 

It was dark by the time he got back to his dorm room and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his roommate wasn’t there. He turned the on his desk light and sat down. He thought back to the encounter with Bella this evening. He remembered watching her face, her movements, studying everything about her. He found himself captivated because of the unknown in how she managed to live her life in an unforgiving world. She slipped through the world around her as if she could see and it fascinated him. She was not a ‘wilting flower’ that was willing to let life pass her by.

Pushing the thoughts of Bella aside, he pulled out his books and began to read his assignments as well as prepare for tomorrow’s classes. He was taking two extra classes this semester in hopes of graduating by the end of this school year. His internship would be completed during the spring semester next year and he’d be able to finish up the last two classes he had to take after this semester. Unfortunately, it meant he had a full course load and very little time for much else. Thankfully most of the classes he had to take were only reinforcing what he already knew due to his father and growing up in the mountains. Granted, he was learning new things as well but it still meant he had do his homework and study.

By 11:00 pm his roommate hadn’t returned yet and Cody sighed, knowing deep down he was going to stumble in at two in the morning and want to tell him all about his adventures on ‘The Hill’. Cody could only pray that the guy got accepted into a fraternity and moved out quickly or would find someone else to room with that was more like him. At that point, he’d pay the extra hundred dollars to get the room to himself. It was cheaper that way than trying to get your own room to start with.

He got up and grabbed his shower gear and headed down the hall. A quick wash up and brush of the teeth saw him back in his room and ready for bed. Climbing into his own bed, he grabbed the ear plugs in hopes that it would block out enough noise so he wouldn’t wake when the roomy came in. Settling in, he stared up at the ceiling in the dark and his thoughts drifted back to Bella, his mind working over how a blind person got around in life on their own. His mind though kept drifting back to the little shivers her laugh caused and the curl of the corners of her mouth when she was amused by something. This is the thought that followed him down into sleep.

\--------------------------------------------

Tuesday found Cody running to his first class at eight, managing to get into the door and in a seat by the time the teacher started to take attendance. If his roommate woke him again tonight he swore he was going to punch his lights out. The drunk had the audacity to shake Cody awake at 2:30 this morning when he didn’t respond to his drunken slurs. 

Cody had turned on the guy quickly telling him to lay-off and let him get back to sleep. The guy tried to pick a fight but Cody was having none of it and simply turned over and ignored him after that. That was when his roommate, Greg by name, got angry at being ignored and proceeded to thump and bang around the room, turning on lights, the stereo and doing whatever he thought would get to Cody. Cody simply laid there, his back to him, keeping his eyes shut with an effort in hopes that the guy would soon pass out or finally give up and go to sleep. Greg kept this up for half an hour until the dorm house prefect came knocking and told him to shut up and get to bed. 

That was when Greg decided that throwing a punch at the kid before throwing up on him was hilarious. Campus security was called and Greg was escorted, cussing and yelling out of the dorm and taken off to who knows where. He hadn’t returned that night but Cody was now wide awake and having to deal with the smell of vomit in the hall and the room. With the help of the prefect they got it cleaned up and sanitized, deodorized and Cody finally managed to get back into bed. But he was angry for having to deal with the stupid idiot and being rudely awaken. This anger kept him awake until almost 4 am when he finally settled down and fell back asleep, only to awaken at 7:30 and realize he had half an hour to get himself ready and to class.

He silently hoped he’d catch a glimpse of Bella today but didn’t count on it. He would just be happy if the roomy was gone for good when he got back, but again, he wasn’t counting on it.

TBC ---


	5. Chapter 5

Tuesday morning found Mrs. Fuller standing on Bella’s doorstep promptly at eight am. She had a key to the apartment but she preferred to be polite and knock instead. Within a few moments, the sound of the bolt being pulled back and the door unlocking as Bella opened the door for her, smiling. “Good morning Mrs. Fuller,” she said, knowing immediately who it was.

“Morning darlin’,” the elderly widow said as she came into the apartment and shut the door behind her. “Ya had a good week?” she asked the young woman before her. Bella was in a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt, barefoot as usual. 

Bella’s lips curled up and she blushed, “Yes. Classes started yesterday. My partner in the tree ID class is very nice. Has a gentle voice.”

Mrs. Fuller ah’d softly, “I think someone’s a bit smitten, eh?” she asked.

Bella’s cheeks blushed a little more red, “I just met him yesterday Mrs. Fuller. How could I be smitten? I don’t know much about him. He could have a girlfriend somewhere,” she stated as she tried to convince herself not to put the cart before the horse. 

“So, I made up a list of things I need from the store. I’ve got my laundry ready to go too,” she said trying to change the subject. Mrs. Fuller was ‘assigned’ to her by the Health and Human Services to help her out with some basic things that would be difficult otherwise. She was a widow, her husband having died about ten years ago of cancer and being bored after doing nothing for a few years, she volunteered her time to help the disabled or elderly. 

Tuesday mornings, like clockwork, saw Mrs. Fuller on her doorstep to help her do her weekly shopping. She would then drive Bella to the laundry mat and after making sure the clothes had been sorted properly by their color, she’d leave and go get Bella the groceries on the list. She’d return to the laundry mat and pick her up to take her back home. 

Mrs. Fuller had always been surprised by Bella’s ability to do things for herself. She had a system down as to where things were located in her cupboards and her fridge. Her clothing all had little tags embroidered with the bumps for brail sewn to the inside of the garment to tell her color and washing instructions. Take her laundry system for instance. She had a divided bag that had three compartments, one for colors, one for whites and the last for towels. Mrs. Fuller never had to do much at the laundry mat other than to just verify nothing had accidentally gotten mixed up color wise. She also helped make sure any stains were pretreated before going into the wash.

Once a month, Mrs. Fuller would take Bella shopping for more than just clothes. They called it their ‘girls time out’ where they’d go to some place like K-mart and walk up and down the isles with Mrs. Fuller telling Bella about what was in the isle. It was mainly a way for Bella to know what was around her but also be able to pick up anything she might need for her apartment or kitchen. 

Shopping for clothes was always interesting since she had to rely on the older woman to help her mix and match colors of tops and pants or skirts. Once they got home, Mrs. Fuller would lay out any new clothes in order so that Bella knew which was which to put the embroidered brail tags on them before putting them in the closet or dresser. 

Mrs. Fuller looked over the list that Bella held out towards her. “Need me to check things over for ya or do ya think ya got everything?” she said in her slight southern accent.

Bella shrugged, “You can look, but I doubt you’ll find anything I’ve missed,” she said with a grin. “Besides, it’ll give me time to get my shoes on.”

Within a few minutes, the two were loading up her laundry in the car. Bella slid into the passenger seat after asking, “Can I drive?” The response was the same every week.

“No dear, it’s my turn to drive. Ya drove last time, remember?” Mrs. Fuller would say. It was a little joke the two of them shared that they always chuckled over.

The morning went quickly as it always did and by noon, Bella was back at her apartment, unloading groceries and putting laundry away while Mrs. Fuller went through her mail to lay out bills to be paid for the week. It was the other service she did for Bella since almost all of the utility companies didn’t have a way of printing in brail. By the time Bella was done putting things away, Mrs. Fuller was ready to go through everything from the mail that had accumulated in the past week.

She explained bills, what charges were what, if anything had changed on any of the utility bills and read anything else to her that was worth her time. The rest was usually junk mail and after a quick description of each piece, it went into the garbage. When the bills had been paid, Mrs. Fuller picked up the stack of mail to send out and grabbed the bag of garbage Bella had left by the front door. Mrs. Fuller would always make one last walk through the apartment to make sure everything was in order and nothing needed to be fixed or replaced as far as the apartment itself went. Satisfied everything was well in hand, she would give Bella a pat on her hand and head out.

Bella spent the next hour making calls arranging to have the books she needed for her classes found in brail or for someone to record the chapters she needed. Thankfully there were such services available or she’d be screwed as far as attending anything other than basic classes in college.

She gathered up her backpack, put the supplies she needed for her afternoon class into it and headed out after sliding into a pair of blue jeans. The afternoon was a little warmer than usual but she didn’t mind. She made her way across campus following the sidewalks that would lead her to the art studios on the far side of campus.

TBC ---


	6. Chapter 6

Wednesday found Cody sitting in his first class early, waiting for Bella. He had a defeated, tired look to him and to be honest, it was exactly how he felt. Cody had come back to his room last night to find his roommate had wrecked havoc with his gear. His school books had been torn to pieces, his bed sheets shredded and what little snack food he had was ripped open and ground into the carpet. But the worst insult had been with his clothes. The asshole had urinated all over his clothes that were in his dresser.

The only upside to all of it was the fact that he had moved out. Cody didn’t care where he’d gone. All he cared about was that the room was now his, what was left of it. He’d spent most of the night with the help of the hall prefect washing his clothes with special detergent meant to take out the proteins in urine that made it stain and smell. They’d had to remove his old dresser and have campus maintenance come and pick it up. It took the rest of the night to scrub the food out of his carpet and try to put things back to some semblance of normal. He’d have to go out to the store today to get a new set of sheets and to the bookstore to buy the three textbooks the guy managed to completely trash and were unusable. 

It’d been 2am by the time he’d gotten to bed but it didn’t mean he could sleep. He was angry and could only wish that the year was over and he was back in Tahoe, surrounded by people that understood him and in a place he was comfortable being himself. He’d finally drifted off about 4am and found it hard to get out of bed when the alarm went off at 7am. 

The touch of a hand on his shoulder broke him out of his day dreaming and he looked over, smiling at seeing Bella. “Morning,” he said quietly.

The corners of her mouth curled upward and she chuckled, “What? No ‘good’ to that morning?” she asked.

He groaned a little, “I’ve just been dealing with the roommate from hell and I’m probably not the best company this morning,” he stated with a sigh, the tiredness echoing in that exhale of air.

She frowned a little, “What happened?” she offered, giving him an open invitation to be an outlet for his frustrations.

He looked at her for a moment then quietly told her about the last three days with said roommate. He watched her face as he told her how he’d found his room last night and was fascinated with the fact that her facial expressions looked like anyone who could see and learn these expressions from watching parents or seeing them in movies and on TV. 

She laid a hand on his arm. “Talk about a pissy attitude,” she said with a smirk. “At least it’ll be something you can laugh about some day with your friends. Just don’t let it ruin your year,” she said as if trying to comfort him a little.

Cody grinned. “That’s one way of putting it,” he said with a laugh at her joke. His eyes fell to her hand resting on his arm and felt disappointed when she removed it. “So, did you manage to find any of the books on tape or in brail?” he asked cautiously.

Bella nodded, “Yeah. There’s only the one book I can’t find so I might have to rely on you to help a little with that but it’s not the one we need right now,” she stated as she pulled out her tape recorder and set it on the table, cuing it for the class. “Maybe we could meet over lunch and talk about the next phase of our project?” she asked.

Cody nodded then mentally kicked himself for not remembering she couldn’t see the nod. “Sure. I’d like that. Where do you want to meet and what time?”

“Sam & Louie’s Pizzeria? Say, 12:30 if it doesn’t conflict with your classes?” she asked.

“Sounds great. My last class doesn’t meet until 3pm.” His eyes watched her, memorizing her features. He looked down at her hands that rested on the table and noticed she had something brown under her nails. “Do you garden?” he asked casually.

“No. Why do you ask?” Her forehead wrinkled a little as she seemed curious by the question.

“Just looks like you’ve got dirt under your nails,” he said, “Mine always looked like that when I’d get done helping my dad plant our garden every spring.”

She ah’d softly, “No, I don’t garden. It’s probably clay. I thought I’d scrubbed my fingernails pretty good last night. Must not have gotten everything out from under them.”

“Clay?” he asked curiously.

She nodded, “I had my pottery class last night,” she stated. Actually it was more like she assisted in teaching the pottery class but she had been tired last night by the time she’d gotten home and cleaned up.

“You do pottery?” he blurted out.

“Why yes. And I can even tie my own shoes too,” she snarked back at him. She knew he didn’t mean to be rude and she was used to it by now but it still caught her off guard sometimes.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make it sound like it did. It just seems like there’s nothing you can’t do,” he replied, trying to make right the bruising of her feelings.

She laughed then, “I can do almost anything you can do except drive and use power tools,” she teased back as if to let Cody know that there was no offense taken.

Before Cody could respond, Mr. Falk walked in and took attendance before getting the class started. 

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Cody ran his errands to pick up things from the store and made a quick stop by the bookstore to get the books replaced that had been ruined. By the time he was done at the bookstore it was getting close to time for his lunch date. Since he was already on ‘The Hill’ at the bookstore, it was only half a block walk down to the pizzeria. 

He made his way to the restaurant and slipped inside. It was a little mom and pop place but he’d learned over the last two years that they had some of the best Italian food he’d ever tasted. The place was decorated with photos and newspaper articles about the college and the restaurant. It was cool inside and he spotted Bella sitting in a booth about half way towards the back. He moved over to her and she smiled up at him.

“How was your other class this morning?” she asked casually.

“Not bad. The teacher is a flake but at least it’s entertaining,” he joked as he sat down, still amazed that she knew it was him.

“Ah. Well, wouldn’t want every class to be as boring as Mr. Falks, now would we,” she commented with a slight lopsided grin. She looked back up as the waitress came over.

“Hi Bella,” she greeted evenly. “You’re usual today?” she asked.

Bella’s face turned towards Cody, “I usually order the Hawaiian pizza,” she stated evenly.

Cody shrugged, “Sounds good to me.”

Bella’s face turned back towards the waitress, “Make that a large Mindy and water for me. Have a competition coming up this weekend.” She spoke to the waitress as if she’d known Mindy for years and was as relaxed as if she were sitting in her own living room.

Mindy smiled, looking at Cody a little as he gave her his drink order then looked back at Bella. “Is he your new partner for the competition this weekend?” she asked.

Bella’s face flushed. “No. He’s in one of my classes. I’ll be partnered with Juan this weekend. I just hope he can keep his ego in check this time.”

Mindy nodded and smiled at the two of them, “Your order will be out in just a little bit,” she said as she turned and walked off.

Cody looked at Bella. “Competition?” he asked, now curious again.

“I’m competing in the Tri-State Ballroom Dance Competition over at the arena this weekend.” Her cheeks were slightly flushed as she revealed another layer of her life to Cody.

Cody stared at her, “What…type of dances do you do?” he asked carefully. He couldn’t imagine a blind person dancing such complicated dances. He’d seen a competition on TV one night when he was bored at the station manning the phones.

She shrugged slightly, “My favorite is the waltz and it’s my best entry, but I can do rumba, foxtrot, tango, cha-cha and I’ve dabbled in swing though I’m not comfortable doing that one.”

“Wow,” Cody stated. “You’re one amazing woman. I’ve known people who can see that aren’t this enthusiastic in life and willing to take risks or learn new things outside of their element.”

“I live life. I make the most of it. I live like I could step off the curb tomorrow and get run over by the dump truck of life that’s hauling manure,” she said with a laugh, “Most people have no idea what gifts they’ve been given and never push their boundaries of comfort. I can’t imagine what life would be like without doing what makes me happy.” 

Cody was quiet for a few moments, thinking of what she’d said. She had a very valid point and in reality, he’d done the same thing. He had left an unhappy situation and went back to doing what made him happy. Going away to college had put him out of his comfort zone but he’d learned a lot about himself over the past two years and it gave him a better perspective and understanding of his life. It made him realize what he wanted to do with his future and that there was nothing standing in his way to keep him from doing it.

Before he could answer, their pizza arrived and the discussion turned to their project as they both ate. When lunch was over, Bella had insisted on paying, using the excuse that he’d had to pay for several of his text books again and new bed sheets. He finally gave in with the agreement that he could leave the tip and see her safely home.

TBC ---


	7. Chapter 7

The rest of the week passed with little fanfare and Cody had begun to finally relax as he got into the pattern of classes for this semester. After his last class on Thursday afternoon, he headed back to his dorm room, threw a few things into his duffle bag and took what books he needed for studying and shoved them into his backpack. Within twenty minutes, he was out the door and headed to the long-term student parking that they so affectionately called ‘Siberia’. It was on the outskirts of the college campus, out in the wide open for the weather to take its toll on the student vehicles parked there. 

He found his small red truck that he’d bought before he’d left Lake Tahoe for his first semester. It had needed new plugs, filters, belts and a muffler but its engine was sound and it was enough to get him back and forth from Reno to Tahoe every weekend. It had cost him $500 to purchase it and another $500 for all the repairs and replacements it needed. It had taken a bite out of his savings account but in his opinion it had been well worth it to have the freedom it afforded. He pulled out his keys and opened the cab, feeling the blast of hot air that came rolling out of it. 

As he waited for the hot air inside to exchange with the air outside he pulled the window shade off the inside of the windshield and put it away. He checked the tires and made sure no one had vandalized it in any way. His first year here, someone had stolen his hubcaps and replaced them with identical ones that had been spray painted florescent green. Someone had decided they needed an upgrade and his had been it. He’d solved the matter easily enough by getting a can of silver spray paint, pulled the hubcaps off before going to work on them. As he finished his circuit of the truck he finally climbed in and started up the engine, let it idle a moment, then put it into reverse and pulled out of the parking space.

\--------------------------------------------

Bella was drenched in sweat by Thursday night as she stood in the center of the studio floor. She was dressed in tights, a close fitting t-shirt and high heeled dance shoes. Her calf muscles were hurting and she silently cursed Juan’s name. Their instructor was currently working with him on the steps of their version of the Fox Trot. The man had been nothing but a prick since he’d arrived at seven that evening. She had rushed home from her sculpting class to clean up and call a taxi to take her to the studio. 

She had gotten there only half an hour before Juan had arrived. She had had just enough time to change, warm up and start going over the steps with Mathus, their instructor, when he’d waltzed in and began making demands on everyone’s attention. She’d kept her mouth shut since the last thing she wanted was to listen to his snide comments about her dancing or lack thereof. She’d danced with him before and they’d gone on to win the championship but he had crowed loudly enough near her that she heard how he told everyone that it was because of his talent, not hers.

The only reason she was willing to put up with his ego was the potential of winning the cash prize for first or second place. First place won $10,000 and second place was for $5,000. Third was for only $1,000. Splitting the first place prize would put a nice comfortable cushion in her savings account that would last her for some time. She had to pay rent and eat for the rest of this semester and what sculptures she could sell only helped in defraying those expenses just a little. This was the big money and it was worth the effort of putting up with Juan’s ego to obtain it.

She heard Mathus clap his hands together to get both of their attentions and she held her arms out for Juan to slide into them. She waited until he was in place and adjusted her body and stance before the music was started. She plastered a smile on her face as if they were actually competing this very moment, tilted her head the right way and began to count off the time in her head as Juan lead her across the dance floor.

\--------------------------------------------

Cody road Copper, his firery roan, down to the Ranger’s stables. Cooper was still around, but he’d retired the old gelding to spend the rest of his days out to pasture. He’d had to get up at five this morning to be able to make it to the station by seven. He unsaddled the stallion and gave him a quick brush down before backing him into a stall and leaving hay and a measure of grain for him. He jogged to the back door of the station with his saddle bags and opened the kitchen door, stepping inside and shutting it behind him with a soft click. The kitchen was empty though the smell of coffee was prevalent in the air. 

Going to the fridge, he started pulling out the fixings for a large breakfast. He was the gopher or jack-of-all-trades for the Rangers when he was worked for them on the weekends. It brought in a few dollars and kept him up to date with what was going on in his backyard. From time to time he helped in some of the simple rescues or advising on where things were within the mountains for the other Rangers. He could spend his free time studying as he usually stayed at the station for the weekend, heading back to the cabin on Sunday afternoon so he could drive back to school that night.

He heard people stirring upstairs as the smell of bacon permeated the air and heard the front door open and close twice. He heard Robin when she entered the kitchen and tried to sneak up on him. Just as she was about to wrap her hands around his eyes, he turned and grabbed her wrists lightly. “You’re getting better…but your footsteps are getting heavier,” he teased as she tried to reclaim her hands to swat him for the reference of her getting heavier with being pregnant.

Robin had quite a crush on Matt for the longest time and had held out hope that he’d come back to the Rangers. When he didn’t, she finally decided it was time to emotionally move on. Rick James from the County Sheriffs department had managed to snag, tag and bag her, so to speak. He was a great guy and was understanding of what the Rangers did and how they thought, worked and played. He’d never want to be one but his understanding helped keep his relationship with Robin on an ‘even keel’. She did have a temper and Cody had been on the receiving end of it a time or two.

“Excuse me Cody but I’d like to see how you’d do with carrying a bowling ball around in front of you for several months, non-stop,” she grumped. “Then you can tell me how heavy your footsteps would be.” She stuck her tongue out at him and he let go of her wrists to make a quick grab for it as she pulled it quickly back into her mouth. 

“Don’t stick that out unless you intend to use it,” he teased, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

She snorted and swatted him upside the head. “You need a woman,” she teased right back. She blinked and wondered if the slight coloring to his cheeks meant something or if it was just his embarrassment on the fact that he hadn’t found anyone. He was young yet and had lots of time so there was no need for him to rush but Robin still thought he’d do well to find someone that enjoyed life as much as he did.

Cody shrugged and turned back to the stove, keeping his tone light. “Why would I need a woman when I’ve got you?” With that he turned his head to the side and winked at her playfully.

She snorted again and swatted his shoulder, “Get back to work Toad….”

Cody suddenly hunched his shoulder, dangling his arm and looked cross-eyed at Robin, “Yesss misstresssss….anything you ssssay missstresss,” he slurred in his best Igor impression.

Robin simply rolled her eyes and left the kitchen before it could get any deeper in there.

\--------------------------------------------

Bella pulled herself out of bed with a loud groan on Friday morning. She had a full morning and afternoon of practice before the evening’s first round of dances began at the Arena. She fumbled a little at the bedside table for the bottle of aspirin she’d left there the night before. Getting the cap off, she dumped two into her hand and downed them quickly with the room temperature water sitting next to where the bottle had been.

She got up finally out of bed and began stretching slowly trying to work her muscles and limber up for the day. Her thoughts went back over the last week as she sat on the floor and stretched out before moving into several yoga poses. She’d met someone she had instantly liked from the moment he’d sat next to her on Monday morning. His scent, the tone in his voice, how he had guided her to the table in the library to the way he’d walked with her as he escorted her back to her place twice.

Her cheeks flushed a little and she mentally took hold of herself and shook herself out of it. She had to get focused on the upcoming competition. As she finished up her stretching though, her mind niggled a little at her to make her wonder if Cody might come to see her dance. He’d been there when the discussion had taken place at lunch Wednesday. The thought that he might be in the audience at some point gave her a little thrill that caused her to have a case of goose bumps.

After a steaming hot shower, Bella ate a light, yet filling breakfast. She’d work it off well before lunch and she needed the boost of energy it would give her. She packed up her makeup kit, hair accessories and a spare change of clothes. When she was about done, she called a taxi and was waiting for it when it honked down on the street below.

\--------------------------------------------

From Friday morning until Saturday early afternoon, it had been crazy around the station. Every idiot seemed to be out in mass this weekend and the Rangers had been run ragged. Cody had gotten recruited to go out on a few of the ‘easier’ search and rescues for missing hikers and a parachuter that had gotten off course. Cody had found him hanging by his ropes forty foot off the ground and after some creative work, managed to get the guy ‘into’ the tree, cut free of his harness and then they both climbed back to the ground.

The calls had finally slowed about noon on Saturday, giving everyone a chance to catch up on some much needed sleep or neglected duties around the station. Cody looked at the clock from the couch where he was stretched out with one of his school books. It was almost two in the afternoon and if he could, he was going to try and talk someone into letting him borrow their vehicle for the rest of the day. He looked around and saw Frank draped into the nearby soft chair, trying to doze. 

“Hey Frank,” Cody said quietly.

Frank didn’t even open an eye, “What Toad?” he asked in an attempt to sound gruff.

Cody rolled his eyes wondering if he would ‘ever’ live down that nickname. “Can I borrow your truck for the rest of the afternoon? You’re staying here tonight and have the Blazers if you need to go somewhere.”

Frank finally cracked open an eye to look at Cody, “Got a hot date?” he teased.

“Actually, not yet but I’m hoping to get lucky tonight,” he joked back, trying to cover up his embarrassment.

Frank’s eyes were both open now and he was looking at Cody with a smirk to his lips. “So who is she?”

Cody shrugged, trying to downplay it all. “She’s my partner in one of my classes this semester. She’s in a dance competition this weekend and invited me to watch. I’m curious about it and knowing her better might help with our work together.”

“Uh huh…you, watch a dance competition of some girl you just met this week to be able to work with her better?” Frank asked, insinuating that he didn’t believe that was Cody’s only reason. “Do I need to have that ‘special’ talk with you?”

Cody’s cheeks suddenly felt flushed, “Jesus Frank, get your mind out of the gutter!”

Frank laughed at him then fished around in his pants pocket for his keys. He tossed them to Cody, “Not a scratch on her. Am I clear? And no fooling around in the front seat either!” Frank tried to ‘growl’ this last part and simply came off sounding corny.

Cody tried to keep a straight face, “No fooling around in the front seat and not a scratch on her. Does that include no scratches on the inside, say on the dashboard?” he said as he wiggled his eyebrows, only to get pelted by the pillow that Frank pulled out from behind his back. 

“Get out of here Toad…” Frank hollered playfully as Cody batted away the pillow and stood up, put down his book and headed upstairs to get ready to leave, chuckling the whole time.

\--------------------------------------------

Hurry up and wait. That was the name of the game. Friday night had gone off without a hitch but Saturday was when the competition was stepped up a notch. This was when everyone pulled out all the stops, the best of their best. Mathus had helped her get in and out of her outfits for the different categories as well as her hairstyle changes. There were seven dress changes planned for the day and it was at times like this that she wished she’d been born a man. Juan only had three changes and it was mainly changing shirts, waist coats and bow ties to match her outfits.

She was currently in her ‘Flapper’ dress awaiting the advanced level of the Fox Trot to be called. They’d made it through all the categories and now were in the final round of dances in the advanced category. First would be the Fox Trot, then the Waltz, the Tango and then ending with the Rumba. Thank god once you got to the advanced level, things moved a little faster since only those in the advanced levels would be vying for the top prize. Those that didn’t have what it took to get this far had already been weeded out. 

Mathus came over one last time to check to make sure her outfit was secure and her shoes were in good condition. Competitions could be lost with something as simple as a broken heel in the middle of a routine. He gave her a kiss on the cheek just before they called her and Juan out to the floor. She struck the pose, plastered on a ‘winning smile’ and laid her hand and arm on Juan’s as he lead her to the dance floor to take their place to the applause of the crowd.

TBC ---


	8. Chapter 8

Cody had managed to make Reno by 4 pm after having showered then pulled on his best jeans and shirt he had with him before he climbed into Frank’s truck. The last bit of business before he left had been to check in with Commander Tucker. Greg Tucker had transferred in from Montana where he’d left a Deputy Sheriff position to become the new Commander of the High Mountain Rangers. He’d worked in his off hours with a search and rescue group up in the Rockies near the Tetons. He was a quiet guy unless you got him riled up, but he also had a big heart and a soft spot for Cody.

Greg knew Cody’s background and knew the reason why he was the one that returned to the Sierras while his father and brother stayed in San Francisco. He also was well aware of Cody’s feelings on the whole situation. So he looked out for him the best he could and knew Cody did a lot around the station when he was here during the weekends, pulling his own weight and then some, not to mention Frank, Robin and Izzy all loved him like a little brother.

Cody found a parking space about four blocks down from the arena, the walk was easy enough and the weather was good. A huge banner across the front of the arena proclaimed that he was at the right place. ‘Tri-state Ballroom Dance Grand Championship Competition’ it said with the dates underneath. He climbed the steps and once inside, headed to the ticket counter. The bored ticket seller didn’t bother look at him as she passed him the ticket after he’d handed her his cash.

He wandered around for a few minutes in the high ceilinged cement hallways as he figured out where he was to go and turned down the slanted ramp that led to the inside of the arena. He stood at the end of the tunnel and looked out over the huge open floor where at the moment children were showing off their waltzing skills. He took a program from an usher before he headed for his seat.

There were different colored lights that hung from rigs and a disco ball in the center of it all out over the open space in the center. The lights were turned down low around the outside of the dance floor so that all eyes would focus on the real reason they were all there. He was sitting on the west side eight rows back from the floor and had a very good view of the organized chaos from one of the side tunnels where dancers waited to be called to the floor. People moved in and out of the dancers, checking this, adjusting that.

He noticed the looks of irritation and dislike on some of the dancer’s faces. It was the look of competition. But there were looks of smugness not to mention a hint of arrogance thrown in for good measure to speak of the ego that some of them outwardly displayed. He watched their faces, their body language and took in all that he could. He liked to people watch. You could learn a lot about a person by their body language and facial features when they thought no one was paying any attention to them.

As he watched the dancers begin to line up, jostling each other around some, he saw her. Bella was standing a little off by herself before someone that looked like he might be her instructor came up to check her outfit and shoes, then kissed her cheek as they began to call the dancers to the floor. He smiled to himself as he thought how cute she looked in her dress. His eyes focused on her as she and her partner were called to the floor. He marveled at how you would never know she was blind unless someone told you.

\--------------------------------------------

The dance was over and Bella was lead off the floor by Juan and then was quickly gathered up by Mathus who took her to the changing room. This was practiced routine as he got her out of last outfit and into her dress for the waltz. There was time since between the competition dances they had exhibition dances as well as beginner level displays. Bella knew the routine and stayed still with her hands over her head as Mathus lowered the dress over her tan tights and body sleeve. She put her arms down and helped to hold the dress in place as she was zipped into it.

He then quickly sat her in a chair and fussed with her hair, pulling it back into a French twist. A change of jewelry and a touch up on her makeup and she was done. Her shoes were the last and after checking them over, she slipped them on and buckled them at her ankles. A cold bottle of water was pressed into her hand as Mathus gave her a final look with a few moments of ‘fluffing’ as she called it and he was pulling her out of her seat and leading her back to the entrance where they were to wait for the next dance.

Mathus loved Bella and her feelings were mutual. He took care of her, helping her with her hair, her costume choices and colors as well as her makeup. He was a great teacher and he was so proud of her. She was a quick study and it only took once or twice of positioning her and walking her through the steps and movements of the dance for her to pick it up flawlessly. He could only hope that her future was brighter than her past was. She deserved to be happy and more. Her heart was a tender thing even though she rarely ever let anyone see the ‘real’ her. She had learned to be a great actress, putting on a brave, energetic and enthusiastic face for all-the-world to see. Some of what she put forward with her public face was part of the ‘real’ Bella, the rest she kept quietly hidden away.

Bella was led over to Juan as they came out of the changing room and she stayed next to him until it was their turn to be called out again.

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If Cody thought Bella looked ‘cute’ in her first outfit, the outfit she now wore made her look absolutely stunning. She wore a beautiful satin blue ball gown with small straps at the shoulders. Her hair pulled back like that exposed her slender neck and delicate shoulders. Rhinestones caught the light from above and glinted as she moved. Her partner had changed jackets and was now wearing something that looked like a formal tuxedo style jacket with tails. The other women’s dresses were different, all trimmed with feathers and fluff around the very bottom while Bella’s had rhinestones embedded in a sparkling strip around the base of the voluminous dress.

He watched in fascination as she moved out with Juan to the floor and took up their positions. Even though he knew he was slightly biased, Bella and Juan had a classier look to them then the others. The strains of Blue Danube began to come from the speakers in the arena and he watched as she and Juan began to glide across the floor slowly to begin with and as the music began to pick up speed. The two of them seemed to float across the floor, her dress catching the lights and winking back at the audience with each and every turn. Cody was no judge of what was good or not in the world of Ballroom Dance but his gut told him she was the best one out there.

He was entranced through the entire dance and felt regret when the dance ended and the couples made their way off the floor. He would have enjoyed watching her dance like that all night. But like all good things, it came to an end too soon.

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Two hours later, the dances had all been completed and the couples were called out one final time to await the results of the judging and find out who were the first place winners. Bella was exhausted and her legs felt like jell-o. She would give anything to simply sink into a tub of hot water and bubbles then climb into bed but she still had to suffer through the awards ceremony and the after effects of whatever was announced.

One by one, awards were given for each dance. They won first for the Waltz and the Tango, second for the Fox Trot but didn’t place in the top three for the Rumba. Everyone quietly waited for the final numbers to be tallied. Just because they had won high points in three of the dances didn’t guarantee that they would win first place. It was simply a matter of totaling the points. They could be two points above the second place winners and could have scored miserably with the Rumba to drop their point total.

The audience was silent as everyone waited for the final results to be announced. Six couples waited as third place was called, then second place. Juan and Bella were not called forward for either of these. Bella’s heart was hammering so hard in her ears that she barely caught the fact that the first place winners had been announced and Juan was suddenly sweeping her out to the center of the floor to the roar of applause. She tried to keep the look of surprise from crossing her face and kept a smile plastered on her face as roses were placed in her arms.

She curtsied to the crowd and waved, only to get another round of applause. Her heart was still pounding loudly after all of the congratulations were given and the roses were taken from her arms as she and Juan were to lead the beginning of the open dance which always signaled the end of the competition. This was a time for everyone to come out from dancers to the audience. It always started out with a traditional song and ended with a few ballads or up beat songs. It was simply a social for everyone to ‘rub elbows’ and ‘hob knob’ as Mathus called it.

The strains of a waltz were heard and Juan led her into a gentle dance around the floor and within moments the floor began to fill up with people. Mathus cut in about half way through the song and gave her a huge hug before continuing the dance. “Congratulations, my dear! There was no doubt that you would win it. If only I could convince you to be an assistant dance teacher with me,” he said wistfully.

Bella blushed, “Mathus, you know my reasons,” she said softly.

“I know but I think it’s such a waste of your talent,” he countered.

She curled the corners of her lips up shyly. “Thank you but for now, I’ll continue to be the student.”

Mathus ‘sighed’ dramatically. “I fear some day you will outstrip this old teacher hon,” he said in a teasing way.

She chuckled from her throat, “Never.”

Mathus felt a slight tap on his shoulder and saw a young man standing near them with a button down blue shirt on and blue jeans with cowboy boots on. He had an almost shy look to his face as if he was embarrassed to interrupt. He had a strong face with high cheekbones and a kind look about him.

“I believe I must relinquish my partner to someone else,” Mathus said as he got the feeling this young man knew Bella somehow. He’d watch from a distance for a few moments to see if this young man caused her any distress but he didn’t think he would.

Bella felt her heart sink. It was starting. She’d be passed from person to person to dance with and her feet would end up sore from people stepping on them. But it was all part of the competition so she simply put on a ‘smile’ for this new ‘partner’ and prepared to be handed off again.

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Cody had watched enthralled for those two hours as they danced the Tango and the Rumba last. He could tell by the end that Bella was wilting some. He didn’t blame her. The stress of dancing, the crowds, the competition…he wouldn’t want to be in her shoes, so to speak. Finally after the last dance he watched as the judges gathered to tally points.

Fifteen minutes later, the dancers were being called out to the floor again. Juan and Bella hadn’t bothered to change out of the outfits they wore for the last dance. It seemed none of the other dancers had either. The Master of Ceremonies took a moment to thank the crowd and the sponsors. Everyone clapped appreciatively but he could sense that the crowd was as anxious to find out who the winners were as the couples themselves.

Finally the third place was announced, then the second. There was an almost audible tension in the air as everyone waited for the announcement of the first place winners. Finally the MC smiled brightly as he opened the envelope that held the names. “And our first place winners of this years’ Tri-State Ballroom Dance competition is Juan Marcosa and Bella Wagner.”

Cody found himself on his feet with the rest of the audience, clapping and cheering as Bella was lead up to the MC where she was handed a large bouquet of roses and Juan held up the trophy. She looked stunned but covered it quickly as she smiled and waved to the crowd, only to have the cheers grow loud again. Flashes of cameras were dazzling as multiple pictures were taken of the couple as they stood with the second and third place winners.

Cody had seen in the program where there was an open dance after the awards ceremony and though he had no idea what that really meant, he had a clue and figured he’d follow what everyone else did at that time. He watched as the roses were taken out of her arms by the one he assumed was her teacher and Juan led her to the center of the floor as the other dancers moved off. A waltz began to play and the two of them began to circle around the dance floor. After the first verse was over, dancers and people from the audience began to file out onto the dance floor.

Cody made his way with several others from his area to the wooden floor that had been laid down and began to work his way through the crowd to where he’d last seen Bella. By the time he found her, she was now dancing with her teacher. No one else seemed to be waiting in line to dance with her either out of shyness or that men were somewhat in short supply. The one dancing with Bella looked up and caught Cody’s eye.

Cody felt the man assess him as he spoke to Bella, “I believe I must relinquish my partner to someone else…” Cody saw the disappointment in her face that was quickly covered by that ‘show’ smile she had plastered on the entire day. He moved up as Mathus stepped away and gently wrapped an arm around her waist and placed his hand in her outstretched one. The waltz had come to an end and a ballad that was currently climbing the charts began to play as he slowly began to dance with her.

\--------------------------------------------

Bella felt Mathus pull away from her as he turned her over to someone else. She felt a gentle arm encircle her waist and a warm, calloused hand placed in hers. That’s when a familiar scent filled her nose.

“Cody?” she whispered, trying not to hope that it was. In the background, a new song started. She recognized it as one that was on the billboard charts recently and it brought a flush to her cheeks. She knew this song by heart already.

_‘Look into my eyes, you will see what you mean to me’_

“Hi,” he said quietly, almost shyly.

_‘Search your heart, search your soul and when you find me there, you’ll search no more’_

Sudden relief flooded her and she sagged a little into his arms, “Oh thank god,” she said tiredly.

_‘Don’t tell me it’s not worth trying for, you can’t tell me it’s not worth dying for’_

Cody held to her as he did his best to dance with her doing a slow shuffling step. He was relieved when she simply slid into step with him and held to him, her arm wrapped around his waist. “Congratulations,” he said gently, keeping his voice low enough that it was only heard between the two of them.

_‘You know it’s true, everything I do I do it for you…’_

Color crept up her neck to her cheeks, “Thanks. How long have you been here?” she asked.

_‘Look into your heart, you will find there’s nothing there to hide’_

“I got here just before you went out in that cute flapper dress,” he teased lightly. For some reason he liked it when she blushed.

_‘Take me as I am, take my life. I would give it all, I would sacrifice’_

Color rose farther up her cheeks, “Gee, thanks. So I’m cute huh?” she asked with a touch of teasing right back. “Isn’t the term ‘cute’ reserved for kittens and puppies?”

_‘Don’t tell me it’s not worth fighting for, I can’t help it, there’s nothing I want more’_

“Yeah, I’d say cute is the right word for the way you looked in that dress. But then the next dress changed my mind completely.” His knees were giving him little tremors. He felt himself falling hard and he didn’t know if he could or even wanted to stop. He had this irresistible urge to simply pick her up in his arms and walk off the floor with her to take her back to Tahoe with him.

_‘You know it’s true, everything I do I do it for you’_

She ‘looked’ up at him, “Changed your mind for the worst?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

_‘There’s no love, like your love and no other, could give more love’_

“Quite the opposite,” he said gently, “I think the words that sprung to mind were ‘absolutely stunning’,” he said as he leaned in close to her ear to whisper softly.

_‘There’s no where unless your there all the time all the way, yeah…’_

The strains of a guitar playing a slow and melodic solo began to echo through the arena as people swayed as they danced from one end to the other on the open floor. Her heart was beating up in her throat and she found it hard to swallow. She was sure that her face was probably radiating heat from the strong flush she felt rising all the way to the roots of her hair. As he led her around the floor doing nothing more spectacular than that shuffling two step, she wondered how the hell she had let someone get so close so fast. She was usually guarded with others but he tore down all of her defenses with a simple touch.

_‘You can’t tell me it’s not worth trying for. I can’t help it there’s nothing I want more.’_

She swallowed again, trying to get a hold on herself. “I thought you said you were going to Tahoe this weekend to work,” she said, trying desperately to change the subject so she could get the blushes and her hammering heart under control.

_‘Yeah, I would fight for you, I’d lie for you, walk the wild for you, yeah, I’d die for you’_

“I was but I took the rest of the day off so I could come and watch you dance. I’d never seen ballroom dancing before so I was curious,” he said quietly to her.

_‘You know it’s true, everything I do, aaahhhh, I do it for you……………’_

The corners of her lips curled up and she dropped her eyes down a little, “Thanks. You don’t know what it means to me to have you here,” she said as she moved her eyes back up to him.

“You’re welcome,” was his only response as he continued to dance her around the floor through the rest of the song before he was forced to relinquish her to Juan. The ‘look’ she gave him seemed to beg him to stay and not to leave her so soon.

With a squeeze of her hand, he gave her hope that he’d be there when this was all over.

TBC ---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song in italics is '(Everything I Do) I Do It For You' by Bryan Adams from the Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves movie.


	9. Chapter 9

Cody drug himself back into the station around midnight. He wasn’t used to being out so late but he had left Reno after having seen Bella home. The kiss she had given him in parting had left his face flushed for most of the drive back to the station. Parking in the spot where Frank usually parked, he locked the truck and headed inside. He would still have morning chores to do before he headed back up to the cabin after lunch. It was then he’d take care of the horses and make sure things were secure before heading back to school for the week.

As he entered the station he noticed the light to the kitchen was on. Shutting the front door quietly, he made his way towards the stream of light falling on the living room floor. Peeking inside, he saw Frank sitting at the table with a cup of coffee and a book. As if sensing something, Frank looked up towards the doorway and saw Cody watching him.

“About time you got back,” he said with a raised eyebrow. “Or are we lucky to even have seen you back here before the morning?”

Cody flushed a little, the memory of the kiss bringing the blush right back to his cheeks. He came into the kitchen and as he walked past Frank, Cody flicked his ear. “You’re pathetic,” he stated.

Frank flinched, laughing the whole time. “So what if I am? I think Cody’s got a girlfriend…,” Frank said in a sing-song child-like teasing tone.

Cody pulled open the fridge and looked inside. Seeing nothing that looked appetizing at the moment, he shut the door and turned to look at Frank, “Whatever…,” he said as he tossed Frank’s keys onto the table. “Not a scratch inside or out,” was all he said as he headed back out of the kitchen and up to his ‘room’. 

The room originally was Matt’s but when Cody had come back to Tahoe, the Rangers had let him move in. That had been about three and a half years ago. Standing in the dark room as the moon crept from behind a cloud, shining a sliver of light across the floor Cody could remember the long days and nights he’d stayed in this room, hurting physically and emotionally. 

He shook off the chill that had crept over him at the memory and focused on getting himself ready for bed. He turned on the small dresser lamp as he dug in one of the drawers for a pair of sweat pants. Successful in his search, he kicked off his boots, slid out of his clothes and pulled on the other set of clothes. He’d gotten in the habit of dressing like this for bed. He couldn’t remember the number of times the team had been woken in the middle of the night to take care of some emergency and he was usually put to work helping them get gear ready and shoving coffee into their hands. 

He sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the silver streak across the floor and a slow smile crept to his lips as he thought about the rest of the evening after his dance with Bella.

\--------------------------------------------

Bella danced around the floor with six more people after Juan gave her over to someone else. The seventh and final dance partner was thankfully Mathus. He had taken pity on his student and got her off the dance floor. Cody saw them making their way towards one of the exits where the dancers had lined up earlier that night to be called to the dance floor. He made his own way over to them and called out to Bella to catch her attention.

She stopped, making Mathus stop with her. She turned towards his voice and the corners of her lips lifted in that shy smile of hers. When Cody came up to them, she motioned towards Cody, “Mathus, I’d like you to meet my study partner from one of my classes. Cody, I’d like to introduce my teacher, Mathus,” she said in a way of a formal introduction.

Cody held out his hand to Mathus who took it. “It’s nice to meet you Mathus. You must be very proud of Bella.” The man was probably in his fifties, slender and had a full head of gray hair.

Mathus smiled as he shook Cody’s hand, “Likewise Cody. And yes, I am very proud of her.” Mathus leaned in and gave an almost fatherly kiss to the side of Bella’s face.

Bella spoke up then, “Cody, I need to get changed and get this cake makeup off my face. Would you wait for me?” Her voice was soft, the shyness of the request echoing through her words.

“I’d be honored,” he said in response. And with that, he watched as Mathus patted Bella’s hand and led her away own the hallway that was still bustling with people. It only took her twenty minutes before she found her way back out to him. Her hair was still up in the last style it had been fashioned in but she was now wearing jeans, a blouse and tennis shoes. Her face had been washed free of the makeup they used to make their features visible to the audience.

He walked up to her and touched her arm. “You look beat. Want to go get a bite to eat or maybe ice cream if you’re not up to a full meal? My treat?” he asked, trying not to stumble over his words with the nerves that had suddenly gripped his stomach.

The smile she graced him with was like a breath of mountain air after being stuck in a smoky room. “So...are you asking me out on a date?” she teased with a slight flush to her features. “Won’t your girlfriend be jealous?” She tossed the last sentence out as a way of testing the waters to get the truth to a question she was sure she knew the answer to.

Cody cleared his throat a little, “Oh, she might be. That is, if I had a girlfriend. But I don’t want to suffer the wrath of your boyfriend when he finds out I took his lady out for a night on the town.”

She’d snorted, rather unladylike. “I don’t think there’s any danger of that happening. I’d have to have a boyfriend first for you to suffer his wrath.” There was a deeper flush to her cheeks now that she knew he was single. Was she willing to see it any farther than just ‘friends’? She silently reminded herself that she’d just met him and that she still didn’t know much about him. She had to take this slow and easy if she wanted anything to come of it or she might jump too soon and find herself hurt.

He took her hand and led her from the arena. “Hope you don’t mind a walk. I’m about four blocks away.”

Once outside, she put her face towards the wind and let it blow across her features. “I don’t mind at all. It’ll give me time to cool down,” she stated matter-of-factly. Besides, she needed time to clear her head and get her emotions reigned in after the revelation of her recent discovery about Cody.

Cody remained quiet as they walked. He was feeling nervous and suddenly tongue tied. He walked slowly, letting her set the pace. The way she turned her face to the wind, closing her eyes and letting it wash over her features was a picture he wished he could have captured with his camera. The wind teased several small tendrils of her brown hair across her face, causing her to reach up and brush them away from time to time.

Once they had reached Frank’s truck, he unlocked the passenger side door and waited until she was settled before closing it. He jogged around and climbed into the driver side, pushing the key into the ignition. “So, where to My Lady?” he asked, trying to sound gallant.

She tried not to chuckle, using her hand to cover her mouth for a moment, “You offered ice cream? I’d like that. I’m still too worked up to eat anything heavy. I’ll be hungry as a horse tomorrow but tonight I don’t have much of an appetite,” she said almost apologetically. 

Cody turned the key in the ignition and the truck engine turned over and then settled into a low hum. “Ice cream it is.” He pulled out into traffic and drove her across town to a small mom and pop place that sold home made ice cream. You never knew what the flavors for the day were going to be. It was whatever the whim of the owners was for that day when they came to work.

\--------------------------------------------

Sitting at a small booth at the ice cream parlor, Cody watched Bella as she tasted the ice cream for the first time. The look she had on her face was almost comical. “Oh God, this is fantastic,” she said before taking another bite and savoring the feel of it on her tongue.

Cody took a bite of his own, “I know. Why do you think I brought you here? This is the one place I’ll miss when I graduate and head back to Tahoe. I come down here about once a week.”

Bella was quiet as she ate but by the time she was half way through her dish, she had slowed down. She looked up at Cody, “So tell me about yourself. You know quite a bit about me I think and I only know a few small things about you.”

Cody fiddled with his spoon, “And what exactly do you know about me?” he asked. He wanted to see what she remembered and what she’d deduced from their few discussions they’d had up to this point.

She swallowed the spoonful of ice cream before speaking, “This is your third year of school. You’re going for your major in Criminal Justice and minor in Forestry Management. You live in the Sierras near Tahoe. You spend your weekends working part time for the High Mountain Rangers and it’s your goal to be hired on full time by them once you graduate.” She paused to take another spoonful of ice cream and let it melt on her tongue before swallowing it. “Your dad started the Rangers thirty-ish years ago and your brother used to be the commander until he got hurt. From what I gather, you’re very proud of them because of that. But now your brother runs a bounty hunter business out of San Francisco with your dad and this upsets you. You’re quiet, have very good manners and you dance a slow two-step. But you like the simple things in life, like homemade ice cream,” she stated with a bright smile to her face.

Cody stared at her for a moment. She was good. “Ever think about a career in law enforcement?” he said in a slightly teasing manner.

“I have, but I think I’d fail at the whole firearm aspect. I think the rest of the trainees might fear for their lives when I’d step out on the range,” she said with a chuckle.

He laughed in return, “True but you might make a good detective,” he stated in a more serious tone.

Her cheeks flushed as she took another bite. “So…tell me more about you than what I already know.”

Cody was quiet for a few moments as he contemplated the melting ice cream in the dish before him. He took another bite then looked up at her. “Not much to tell really…” was how he began. He told her about his past, how he grew up and his relationship with his family. He talked about the drug bust that Matt had gotten hurt in and that was what had sent them all to San Francisco. He stopped talking finally at that point. The rest, he wasn’t sure if he wanted her knowing right now. 

Bella sat there and listened to him, to the inflections in his voice. She could tell he wasn’t hiding anything from the love he had for the mountains, for the way he grew up and for his family. Unfortunately, there was an underlying hurt when he spoke about them that didn’t fit with the picture of his life. She could sense that something had happened, perhaps in San Francisco to cause this to happen. When he stopped talking, she could sense she’d gotten all that she’d get from him and didn’t press him further. Maybe he’d tell her later on when he was ready.

She sighed softly, “It sounds like you had a great childhood Cody. I can say I’d have given anything to grow up like that.” 

Cody watched her, “It was a hard life at times. The weather could really be brutal in the winter.”

She nodded, “I know but the fact that you had books to read and your father to keep you company, a big brother who obviously cared about you. I get a feeling he bragged a lot about you to the other Rangers,” she stated matter-of-factly.

His cheeks flushed, “Yeah, he did. I had someone tell me one time that Matt talked about me a lot and had said that I was 15 going on 35.”

Bella chuckled at this, “You grew up with an unbiased view of the world. Maybe a little naive but you soon learned the rules of the road, so to speak. You know what you want and you’re working towards that goal.” Her words were sincere as she spoke.

Cody shrugged, “I guess.” He grew quiet as he finished off his ice cream. “What about you? I know you’re a champion ballroom dancer, you do pottery and sell sculptures of some kind. You’re parents were embarrassed by you and probably put you through hell with teachers to teach you how to act ‘normal’. Granted, it’s helped you move through the world of those who can see to the point some have accused you of pretending to be blind. But that’s all I know of you. I don’t know where you’re from, if you have any siblings…what it was like growing up?”

She was quiet for the longest time as she fiddled with what was left of her melted ice cream. “My family lives in Vermont. But in reality, I grew up in Wisconsin at the school for the blind. I have four siblings. Two older, two younger. I was the middle child. I had a pretty hard time growing up. My parents have money…so they sent me away when I was old enough to this private school. I think they did it to get me out of the house, partially as a way of hiding me away and partially as a way of taking pity on me because of what my siblings used to do to me.” She swallowed and looked away. “Summers were spent at camp and I spent only a few weeks at home before and after camp, only being home just before school started up again. I did my best during those weeks to stay unnoticed but it never really worked.” 

She took a breath and looked back at Cody, a shy smile on her lips now, “When I graduated from high school I had a scholarship here and I’ve been living here on my own since then. That was four years ago.”

Cody watched her facial expressions as she spoke. There was a lot more that was going unsaid but he was reading a little between the lines and got a sense of what it must have been like for her growing up. “I can see why you think the way I grew up must seem wonderful.”

Bella shrugged, “My teachers in Wisconsin are more my family than my biological ones are. On weekends, at least one of them would take me out on a field trip. Otherwise I was in the dorm house all by myself every weekend. The rest of the kids usually went home on the weekends. So I learned a lot going on those private field trips. It was great,” she said smiling warmly at those snips of memory.

He reached across the table and took her hand, “At least someone cared for you. You’re family doesn’t deserve you. It’s sad that they can’t see past your disability to the person you really are.”

Her cheeks flushed a deep red and she looked away, “Stop. You’re making me blush,” she said half jokingly. To be honest, she didn’t want him to stop but she was starting to feel the stress of the last three days catching up to her and she yawned.

Cody took that as a signal to get her home. “Come on. I’ll take you home. You’re wilting on me,” he joked softly as he got up out of the seat and took up her hand.

The corners of her lips curled up in that shy smile he was falling in love with and she let him guide her to the truck before driving her home. When he pulled up to the front of the drug store, he got out and came around the other side of the truck, opening the door and helping her out. He guided her to the stairway door.

He looked at her as she fished into her pocket for her keys, giving another yawn. “I really enjoyed watching you dance today,” he said, trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t sound too cheesy. 

She looked up at him and blushed, “Thank you. I enjoyed our date,” she replied, feeling unsure of what to say next. 

His face flushed as he gathered his courage for what he was about to ask. “Would it be impertinent of me to ask if I could kiss you goodnight?” He swallowed nervously.

Bella’s heart nearly stopped at this request. If she thought she’d been flushed earlier, she wouldn’t be surprised if the roots of her hair weren’t burning right now. “I’d like that,” was all she could get out before her throat closed up.

She felt him lean close to her and reaching a hand out she touched the side of his face, moving her own lips to press against his. If his arms hadn’t wrapped around her waist she might have collapsed in a boneless heap right there. There was a tenderness about it all that awoke all of her senses at once and she responded with the hunger of someone who had lived only on bread and water for their entire life.

Cody felt the warmth of her against him as he pulled her close, felt the hunger in her lips, hunger she seemed to be struggling to control. He knew that if he let it, this could go much farther than just a kiss goodnight but he didn’t want to ruin a good thing by being irresponsible. 

Finally Bella reigned herself in and pulled away, panting a little. “Wow...,” was all she said for a moment.

He pressed his forehead against hers. “Yeah…I should let you get inside so you can get some sleep,” was all he could think to say in response.

She nodded, “Thank you for the wonderful evening,” she said quietly, shyly before turning and unlocking the stairwell door. She gave a small wave and stepped inside the landing, turning the lock on the door. It took her a moment to stand there and let her heart slow down. She didn’t want to faint while trying to climb the stairs. Finally she managed to get into her apartment, shutting the door behind her before making her way to her bed where she curled up with a pillow and went to sleep, still able to taste the hint of chocolate on her lips from his kiss.

Cody had watched her close the door behind her and heard the lock slide into place. He stood there for a moment, getting his heart rate in check before he got behind the wheel. He needed to focus for the drive home since it was dark and a Saturday night. Frank would kill him if he ‘scratched’ his truck in any way. Climbing into the truck, he turned the ignition and let the engine idle for a moment before heading back to Tahoe, the memory of her kiss still on his lips and on his mind.

TBC ---


	10. Chapter 10

“Matt!?” called a voice from the hallway in the office on the lower level of the warehouse that was now owned by ‘Hawkes Private Investigations’. 

The warehouse was the place that Cody and Jesse had slept in their second night in San Francisco, surprising the former owner who had come in, looking to chase out squatters. From there, a bargain had been struck to update the old place so that it could pass code. Jesse and Cody had worked on giving the homeless something to do and a warm place to sleep but soon it just became the two of them. As Matt improved his mobility and recovered from his injuries from the fateful drug bust that had nearly claimed his life, he’d joined in the efforts in refurbishing it. 

They’d started doing some simple bounty hunting to help pay for expenses and bills, it having been Cody’s idea in the beginning. But as time passed, bounties collected and more work was done on the place, Jesse soon discovered he liked the place too much to let all his work go. He made an offer that was accepted and the warehouse became home for the investigation business that was set up in the lower level of the warehouse while their living quarters were up above for the three of them. Only now, it was just two.

“Yeah dad?” came the call back from the media room.

Jesse ambled down the hallway and leaned against the door of the darkroom, watching Matt hanging up the finished pictures they’d taken for their latest case. Jesse could still ‘see’ Cody standing in the room, working on his latest batch of photos. His eyes lifted upward to see that several of Cody’s more creative photos that he liked to take were still pinned to the wall. Matt hadn’t taken them down for whatever reason. 

“I’m heading to Reno. I’ve got a lead on that bail jumper we’ve been chasing for two weeks.”

Matt didn’t look up at Jesse as he pulled another black and white print out of the solution. “Ok.”

Jesse was quiet for a moment, his arms crossed over his chest, “Want to come? I was thinking about stopping by and seeing Cody.” He wondered if Matt would take him up on his offer and take the day off to drive with him if nothing more than to see his brother.

His oldest sons’ spine stiffened a little, “Not today dad. I’ve got to follow up a several cases we’ve finished up on.” It was an excuse but he hoped his dad wouldn’t notice.

Jesse simply watched Matt with his green eyed gaze, “You know…you haven’t seen your brother in almost a year. Besides, it’s your Birthday tomorrow. Take the day off and relax.”

Matt finally looked up to where his dad was leaning, hoping the dimmed light of the room would hide the look in his eyes, the hurt and guilt he knew was there. “Nothing saying he can’t come here to see us…”

His dad sighed, “Matt…,” he started. They’d had this ‘polite’ argument multiple times. “…he’s your brother. You keep throwing yourself into your work. Take a break for a day and let’s visit him before we follow up on the lead,” he attempted, trying to pull Matt away from here. Matt had grown to love San Francisco. He’d always been a ‘city boy’ though he was very good in the mountains, able to acclimate to any terrain or situation. It bothered Jesse sometimes how Matt pulled the ‘safety’ of the city around him like a shield in hopes of not having to remember his old friends Robin, Izzy and Frank or dealing with the hurt and anger that had come between he and his brother.

Matt set his jaw a little. “Dad, don’t start. Cody made it quite clear before he left over three years ago how he felt about everything. So I leave him to do his own thing and I do mine. Seeing him up at the cabin around Christmas is often enough.” He worked to keep his voice neutral. Echos of the words that Cody had yelled at him still rang in his ears and probably would for the rest of his life. It had hurt and yet angered him, the wounds still a little too raw for him to be poking at them.

Jesse hung his head, “Matt, listen to yourself. Think about it. Cody was hurt and in pain. You know personally that it can make you say things you don’t really mean. He’s your brother and the only one you’ve got.”

Matt shoved down the urge to growl at his dad, “Are you going to have this same discussion with Cody or am I the only that gets to hear it again? He’s the one that walked away from us.”

Jesse looked up at Matt, “Son, I have no idea where you got your stubbornness but if I ever figure out who gave it to you, I’m gonna kick their butt. You can’t keep hiding here. There are other people out there that care for you that you’ve been neglecting. You’ve been neglecting yourself too. Cody is a part of both of us and to let that stubborn streak keep you two from mending fences just doesn’t feel right.”

His oldest son sighed heavily, “I can’t dad. Not now,” was the simple answer he gave and was done discussing the topic. “Say hi for me and tell him an early Happy Birthday. I’ll see him around Christmas.”

Jesse knew Matt was done with the discussion. If he pushed any harder right now, Matt would just shut down on him. “All right. I’ll call you when I find out something on the lead.” With that, he turned and headed down the hall to pick up the duffle bag that he’d packed in case he had to stay somewhere overnight. He checked his permits, weapons and licenses before leaving. They’d learned the hard way a few times about not having certain things with them. To keep things easy, it was best to have it all with you just in case you ran into some hard-nosed cop that tried to take you in for some trumped up reason.

Within a few minutes, Jesse was on his way out of the city and heading towards Reno, hoping to get a chance to see Cody. He missed his youngest more than he was willing to admit but he honestly wasn’t willing to move back to Tahoe just yet. For the first time since he’d retired from the Rangers, he felt like his old self. Besides, there was only so much silence and being alone one could take, especially after getting a taste of the chase again. Someday, he’d get the urge to sit again amongst his trees and stare out over the lake for hours at a time and listing to nothing but the hushed sounds of nature…but not just yet.

\--------------------------------------------

Cody and Bella spent what time they could together, which once the school year picked up, wasn’t much. They made the most of it when they did. They worked on their class projects, went out for ice cream or pizza on the one free night they had each week. Cody regaled her with stories of his youth and growing up in the mountains, being the son of the man that started the High Mountain Rangers and some of the things that went on.

Bella talked about some of the things she’d encountered growing up that were funny or frustrating. She talked about her sculpting and artwork as well as her experiences in learning how to dance. She spoke very little about her family other than in general terms such as her ‘parents’ or ‘siblings’, oldest or youngest. She hoped Cody never really picked up on the fact that she was avoiding details. He didn’t press for more so she left it at that.

Finally one night in mid-September, she had the bravery to confront him about something. She swallowed nervously as she sat on the floor of his dorm room, their books spread out as they researched another avenue for their final project. “Cody?”

Cody looked up from the book he’d been studying. “Yeah?” he asked, seeing the nervous look on her face.

“Would you allow me to ‘see’ what you look like?” She chewed on the bottom of her lip after she’d spoken.

He sat up slowly, crossing his legs at the ankles. “’See’ me?” he asked as if clarifying. “How…?” he tried to ask before she spoke up.

“Remember, my fingers are like my ‘eyes’,” she ran a finger down the edge of her nose then used her two index fingers to trace the top of her lips as a way of example.

“Ah…,” he said quietly. He scootched across the floor, moving a few books out of his way, then took her hands and placed them on his cheeks. “Like this?” he asked softly.

She flushed and nodded. She let her hands linger there for a moment, then closed her eyes and with slow and methodical touches, she slowly explored his face, hair, ears, chin and neck with her finger tips. “You have a caring face, high cheekbones, strong chin but a cute nose,” she said with a soft chuckle, blushing at her declaration as she felt the heat come to his face as he blushed. “And he blushes so nicely too,” she teased a little.

He chuckled with soft breath. His heart began to race. Having her touch his face like that had awaken the feeling again of wanting to carry her off to the cabin and not letting her go, keeping her all to himself. He shifted and moved closer, his fingertips reaching out to trace her nose, up over her eyebrows, down her cheekbones and a thumb brushing across her lips. He felt the warm air escaping from a slow exhale. His fingers continued down to trace her chin then down her neck to her collar bone then back up over her ears, one hand then slipping around to curl around the back of her neck to hold her in place as he moved forward, his lips touching hers.

She gave a small intake of breath but didn’t resist or pull away. She felt his lips against hers and she leaned in just enough to make the full connection between the two of them. She let her lips part as he kissed her slowly, savoring the scent of him so close to her. Her hands came up to cup his face. She could feel her heart racing, a need rising deep in her stomach that she tried to shove down, the fear of what might happen if she didn’t.

He finally broke the kiss and pulled a little away, “Sorry…,” he whispered with that touch of shyness of his setting in. 

Her cheeks were flushed and her breath was coming in soft gasps as her heart raced, “Don’t apologize. That was…a fantastic ‘view’,” she joked lightly, trying to get control of herself. She wanted more of what he had done to her. She felt a soft shiver go from her toes to the top of her head.

She heard him chuckle and felt him close again as if to kiss her once more. It was if he could read her thoughts…

The sound of someone knocking on his door suddenly startled her into reality and she gasped like a kid who’d just gotten caught with her hand in the candy jar.

Cody’s hand tensed a little around the back of her neck and she heard him let out a slight groan of disappointment. He released her and moved slightly away. He slowly stood up as the knock came again, seeing Bella gathering up her books, closing them after marking their places. 

He walked to the door and opened it, ready to kick someone’s ass if they’d been disturbing him for no real reason. What he saw on the other side of the door was not what he expected and it took a moment for him to realize it was his dad standing there.

“You gonna invite me in son or let me stand in the middle of the hall?” he asked with a slight smile on his lips.

Cody blinked and had to mentally shake himself, “Sorry,” was all he said, sounding a bit embarrassed as he opened the door wider to allow his dad to enter. He turned to the woman stacking up her books, “Bella, I’d like to introduce you to my dad, Jesse Hawkes,” was all he could think to say.

\--------------------------------------------

Jesse stood outside his son’s door in the dorm hall. It was close to supper and young men were running up and down the halls, shouting at each other as to who was going where for their evening meal. Someone pitched a football down the corridor, someone else catching it on the other end. Loud music played from several of the open doorways and Jesse saw as he passed by the messes some considered living conditions. 

He knocked on the door, hoping to have caught Cody ‘home’ but with it being a school night, he wasn’t sure. If it had been Thursday through Saturday night, he’d have to go to Tahoe to see Cody. It was Tuesday evening. There was no answer so he knocked again. He thought after that he heard someone near the door and saw the door knob turn before it opened enough to allow the occupant to look out to see who was bothering him.

There was a flushed look to his sons face and he seemed startled to find his dad standing there. “You gonna invite me in son or let me stand in the middle of the hall?” he’d asked.

Cody seemed to come out of his startled state soon enough and opened the door farther to allow his dad to enter, mumbling an apology. As Jesse came through the door, he got the sense that Cody wasn’t alone but it wasn’t until Cody moved close to the other person that he saw it was a young woman. “Bella, I’d like to introduce you to my dad, Jesse Hawkes.” 

Jesse watched as the woman stood gracefully up from the floor and smiled quietly. She was just a few inches shorter than Cody but had a grace about her that was quite pleasing. She wore tinted glasses even though it was only an hour before sunset due to the lateness of the year. She held out a hand to him, “It’s nice to meet you Mr. Hawkes. Cody’s told me quite a bit about you.”

He took the offered hand, feeling the strength in it. “The pleasure is mine but please call me Jesse,” he replied easily enough before letting go of her hand.

Bella turned towards Cody, “I need to get going to my evening class. Can I leave those two books with you?” she asked apologetically.

Cody nodded, even though he knew she couldn’t see him, “Sure. I’ll bring them to class with me tomorrow morning.” 

She smiled warmly, “Thanks.” She picked up her backpack off the floor and slung it over her shoulders, a couple of the books inside they’d used that night. She looked back at Jesse, “I see where Cody gets his manners,” she said with a quiet lift to the corners of her mouth, “It was nice to meet you Jesse. Please excuse me.” Turning her face towards Cody, she gave him a tender smile, “I’ll see you tomorrow then. Good night.”

Cody laid a hand in the small of her back and using either his fingers or his palm he directed her silently in which direction to go to navigate the few books on the floor and his dad. It was something he’d learned how to do from her to help them navigate crowds or cluttered areas without her needing to use her cane. He opened the door for her, “See you tomorrow.” 

Bella stepped into the hallway and her fingers sought the wall as she walked along, trailing them a little. She fished around in her bag for her walking stick as she moved away, finally getting it out and unfolded and using it to find her way out of the dorms and back onto the open ground of the campus to head to her class.

He watched her go and when he was sure she wouldn’t have trouble from anyone on the floor he closed the door and turned to look at his dad. 

Jesse wore an interested look, “’I’d like to introduce you to my dad’?” he mimicked. He saw the way his son had watched the woman leave down the hall. He was definitely interested in her and Jesse had seen in a heartbeat of meeting her that she felt the same way about Cody.

Cody rolled his eyes, “Hey, you’re the one that pounded proper etiquette into my brain since I was little. It’s your fault,” he tried to jab back playfully.

As Cody passed close to Jesse, he reached out and snagged Cody’s arm and pulled him into a hug. “Good to see you son.” He relaxed a little when he felt Cody’s arms hug him back for a moment, then let go.

“Yeah. You too,” he responded as he bent over to pick up the books off the floor and stack them on the desk.

“So, who’s that?” he asked with a smirk on his face, knowing Cody knew exactly who he meant especially after his son blushed slightly at the question.

TBC ---


	11. Chapter 11

Jesse didn’t have to work too hard to get Cody to go out to dinner with him. Cody knew of a few places that were off the beaten path where they could talk without having to raise their voices to be heard across the table. One was called ‘Burger Bust’ and was a few miles off campus. They were shown to a booth and Cody slid in one side while Jesse seated himself opposite from him.

An older plump waitress came over, put glasses of water in front of them, handed them menus and took their drink orders. Once she left, Cody took a sip of his water, his mouth going a little dry. “So how are things?” he asked, looking at his father. He wasn’t afraid to start the conversation and figured it’d be easier to get the hard stuff out of the way first.

Jesse leaned into the corner of the booth, fiddling with a straw that still had its paper wrapper on it. “Not too bad. Just finished up a couple of big cases. Matt stayed to finish up on the final details so we could close on them. Business has been steady. Guess words gotten around that our success rate is higher than some.”

Cody watched his dad grow quiet as the waitress came over and put the cups of coffee down between the two and left a pot on the table. Cody gave her his order, already knowing what he’d like and Jesse ordered the same. She gathered up the menus and headed back to the kitchen.

“Guess that’s probably got Matt pretty happy I guess,” he stated evenly, discussing this as if he were discussing the weather.

Jesse grunted slightly. “Speaking of your brother, he said to wish you an early Happy Birthday and that he’d see you around Christmas.” He didn’t answer Cody’s question directly but he figured Cody could read into it what he wanted.

Cody fiddled with the handle to his coffee cup. “I sent him a card. He probably got it today or will get it tomorrow,” he stated simply. Only six or seven years ago, birthdays were a big thing amongst the family. Now, it seemed to be a date that came and went and you just got a year older.

Jesse nodded but said nothing else for the moment. He watched his son sit quietly, running his finger around the rim of the coffee cup absentmindedly. “Cody…,” he started then stopped. He wasn’t sure of how to continue. Finally he asked, “How’s school going?”

Cody had tensed a little, wondering what his dad was going to say. The way he’d said his name had made it sound like he might start some form of request for Cody to mend ways with his brother. But as Jesse hesitated, Cody waited. He finally asked a neutral question and Cody relaxed a little. 

“I’ve managed to take enough classes in the past two and a half years that I’ll be doing my internship with the Reno PD next semester and graduate in May,” he said, feeling a little touch of pride with what he’d accomplished in only three years.

Jesse smiled, “That’s great! How are things with the Rangers?”

Cody shrugged a little, “Frank’s the same. Izzy’s gotten engaged to a nurse over at the Barton Medical Center. We’d taken him in to get stitches about six months ago and she took care of him. He’s been smitten ever since.” He paused as he sipped his coffee, “Oh, and Robin’s pregnant,” he said with a wide smile.

Jesse raised an eyebrow, “Fantastic. Sounds like things are settling in for everyone some. How are you handling things with them? They still got you being the go-for?” he asked with a smile.

Cody nodded a little, “Yeah, but they were so busy this summer I ended up having to run a number of calls with either Frank or Izzy. Robin’s recently been grounded to the radios since she’s in her second trimester, so they’ve had me doing more around the station to free up time.” He smiled that quiet, almost shy smile of his. 

Jesse listened with interest, a little pang of pride at his youngest who had taken his life into his own hands and was doing something that made him happy. He grew quiet then. “Think you’d be willing to come spend the summer with us this year after you graduate? Would be good to have you around.”

Cody tensed and was about to answer with something snappish when the waitress came over with their orders and set them down in front of the two men. Cody thanked her and she left to take care of two other people that had just walked in. He was grateful for the interruption since it gave him time to cool down and rethink his answer. He took several bites of his burger before he finally answered.

“I don’t think it would be a good idea. Tryouts for the Rangers will be in June. The government is making it a lot harder to get in due to background checks and regulations. Not to mention Commander Tucker has made the training program quite challenging. Only 1 in 10 manages to make it out of training and to probie.” He wasn’t going to fool himself into thinking he’d make it. Likely he would but he wasn’t willing to risk it by being cocky. Being a Ranger was something he wanted to do, not because he wanted to follow in Matt or his dad’s footsteps, but because it was something he enjoyed doing.

Jesse sighed quietly. He’d been pretty sure he knew what Cody’s answer would be but he had to at least try. “Cody…,” he tried again, “You and Matt really need to work things out. Matt and I learned a hard lesson when you got hurt but some of the things you said …well yelled at Matt were a bit harsh, even for you. He’s your brother. We’re supposed to be a family….”

Cody had put down his burger and looked at his dad, his blue eyes meeting his dad’s green ones. “I really don’t want to discuss this or get a lecture. When I left it was because I had to, if nothing more than for my own sanity. Both of you ignored information I gave you on a number of occasions with different cases that caused complications in the end. The last time you two ignored me, I’m the one that got hurt.” 

Jesse listened to Cody, the guilt building up like a lead weight in his stomach. He’d been just as guilty as Matt for ignoring Cody when he’d come to them with bits and pieces of information. At the time, they’d not felt the information to be important. What did Cody know? He’d been raised in the mountains, away from everyone and everything. The city was big and crowded so how could he possibly know what to look for? Besides, he was just a ‘kid’. Both Jesse and Matt had a number of years of being federal officers and training under their belts. They knew what they were doing… 

Then it had all come crashing down that fall afternoon. It ended up with Cody in the hospital with 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his back and legs, a severe concussion and three broken ribs. If they’d have stopped to think about what he’d told them, things would have turned out much differently. 

Jesse sighed softly, “I’m sorry Cody. I know Matt is too but he’s embarrassed and feels guilty about all of it. But the way you left, what you said, hurt him pretty deep. He’s still upset and angry about it.”

Cody had lost his appetite completely, having only eaten a third of his burger. He pushed his plate away and looked at the man sitting across from him. “Dad, don’t do this. Don’t be the go-between for us. Just leave it alone. Sooner or later, we’ll both come to terms with it. You’ve always said time heals old wounds and makes memories fade. So, just give us time.”

\--------------------------------------------

Jesse paid for the mostly uneaten dinner and drove Cody back to campus. He fished some cash out of his wallet and gave it to Cody, “Treat yourself to something fun for your birthday. Maybe take Miss Bella out for a night on the town to celebrate,” he said with a sad smile.

Cody nodded, not arguing about the money. He didn’t need it but when he’d tried to refuse it in the previous two years, his dad would argue right back and it always ended up with Cody giving in and taking the cash. “Thanks,” he said quietly, pushing the money into his pocket. “Tell Matt I love him and hope he takes the day off for his birthday. Tell him he needs to find himself a woman that will put up with him.”

Jesse chuckled, “Yeah, I tell him that about once a week.” He grew quiet then. Finally he looked up at his son, “Be safe. Say hi to the Rangers for me. We’ll meet at the cabin around Christmas and plan a big meal. Maybe you can invite that pretty lady to stay for the holiday season.”

He saw his son’s face flush a little in the light of the street lamp. “We’ll see. But yeah, I’ll be there for Christmas break.”

Jesse reached out and pulled his son into a hug. Once he let go of Cody, he climbed back into the car and drove off with a wave. 

Cody watched him go, shoving the cash deeper into his pocket. His stomach was still in knots over their conversation at supper. He looked over at the clock tower in the middle of campus and saw that it was almost nine. He headed back to his room, hoping to work his courage up for what he was about to do.

Picking up the receiver of the phone, he dialed a number that he’d written down on a slip of paper that he’d tapped to the lamp on his desk. He swallowed nervously as the phone rang several times. He was beginning to wonder if anyone was home yet when a familiar voice answered.

“Hello?” came a feminine voice.

“Hey, it’s Cody,” he answered, trying to swallow past the lump in his throat.

“And to what do I owe the pleasure of speaking to you again this evening?” asked Bella on the other end of the line, a light tone of teasing to her voice.

He swallowed again, “Well, I was wondering if you’d like to go to Tahoe with me next weekend. My birthday’s next Friday and I usually take the weekend off to go fishing, do a little camping, ride around the mountains, that sort of thing. Would…,” he paused, wiping his sweaty palm on his jeans, “…you like to go with me? I mean, we could also work on our project and…,” he said, unable to really think of anything else to say.

There was a pause on the other end of the line. When she spoke, he could ‘hear’ the smile on her face, “I’d love to go! But are you sure about this? I’ve never truly done much hiking and I’m so rusty when it comes to riding….” There was a sudden touch of uncertainty to her voice as if she suddenly remembered her disability and realized she’d be a burden to him.

“I’m sure. I want to show you my world,” he said gently, hoping to put her at ease a little.

There was another pause, “All right. Just tell me next week what I need to pack.” He could hear the suppressed excitement in her voice and it made him grin like a little kid.

“No problem. I’ll see you in class tomorrow morning?” he asked.

“Of course,” she said in a teasing tone, “Just be sure to bring my books. I doubt they’d do you any good unless you can read brail.”

Cody chuckled and promised, then hung up the phone. His heart was racing a mile a minute and he felt his face flush with excitement. She’d said yes…

\--------------------------------------------

When Bella had answered the phone, the last person she thought it would be was Cody. When he spoke, she felt shivers go down her arms and spine. Damned she had it bad for him and she knew it.

What he asked her surprised her to silence for a moment as she collected herself. He was asking her to go with him to Tahoe, to go camping and hiking, fishing and horseback riding. Her heart had nearly stopped with excitement but then the doubt set it. She’d be a burden to him out there in the wild. Sure, she’d done camping and some hiking but usually in a group of people in tamed wilderness.

But those words, ‘I want to show you my world’ had sealed it for her and her heart began racing with excitement. By the time she’d hung up the phone, the tips of her ears were hot from the flush that had coursed through her. Even her cheeks hurt from how hard she was smiling.

Then it struck her. His birthday was next Friday. She needed to find the perfect gift for him. What that was exactly she didn’t know yet but she would think of something. She made her way to her bed and flopped down on it, thinking about him, what she knew about him and then started trying to figure out what to get him. These thoughts followed her into sleep as she pulled a blanket up over her from the foot of the bed.

TBC ---


	12. Chapter 12

The next week passed with what seemed like exaggerated slowness for both of them. Bella had spent the previous weekend at the dance studio with Mathus working on a new dance routine for a competition in March next year. She had picked his brain a little about what she might get Cody for a birthday present. 

Mathus had sarcastically responded that she should put a bow in her hair, wear a tissue paper dress and let him unwrap her as his birthday present. She’d swatted him hard, acting shocked as her face flushed a deep red. It only drew more howls of laughter from her friend and teacher, causing them to stop dancing until he’d gotten over his laughing fit. As they continued their dancing after he’d calmed down, he had asked her questions about Cody and helped by giving her ideas on things a man of his caliber might like.

On Monday, Cody had given her a verbal list of the things she should make sure she packed. He had explained that he had all the camping gear they needed. She just needed to be prepared for early fall warm days and close to freezing temperatures at night that high up. When she’d inquired about food he’d given her a few things to make sure she picked up to take on their camping trip. There was plenty up at the cabin since he’d done some shopping the previous weekend to restock plus with fish fresh out of the lake, they’d be fine. 

Tuesday found her with Mrs. Fuller, doing a little bit of shopping since she didn’t have a good outdoors jacket or hiking boots. They’d spent the first part of the morning with their regular routine of laundry and grocery shopping. Afterwards, Mrs. Fuller had taken her to a sporting goods store. The clerk had helped her get the few things she needed that fit her comfortably. The whole time, Mrs. Fuller asked her questions about Cody, making little comments about just being careful and how she should make sure she was safe at all times. This caused another round of blushes from Bella but to keep Mrs. Fuller from ‘lecturing’ her further like a ‘mother hen’ she nodded from time to time and kept quiet. 

After several phone calls during the week, she’d found something that would do very nicely for Cody’s birthday present. She’d taken a cab to the shop and now her find sat wrapped in the bottom of her duffle bag that was sitting by the door. She was nervous. She’d never really been out with a guy like this for more than just a day. She made her way through the apartment for the third time with nervous busy work, checking to making sure everything was clean, put away and ready for her to be gone for three days. 

She startled a little when the doorbell buzzer sounded, signaling Cody’s arrival. With her heart hammering in her chest she picked up her duffle bag and the paper bag that held the food he’d told her to pack, plus a small birthday cake in a Tupperware container hidden at the bottom. After locking the door behind her, she headed down the stairs. As she stepped out onto the sidewalk, she felt his hand on her arm. 

“Hi. You ready?” he asked as he gently took the bag from her fingers and the duffle bag off her shoulder. 

She nodded, “I hope so,” she’d responded, letting out a breath as she heard him turn away. Her stomach was in knots and still full of butterflies from the excitement of setting out on this new adventure.

Cody took the two bags from her and pulled back the seat, setting them down on the floor next to his own duffle bag and pushed the seat back into place. He reached out and took her elbow, guiding her to the door of the truck where he simply waited until she was settled in her seat and then shut the door. He climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine, then pulled away from the curb and into traffic.

“Thanks for coming with me this weekend,” he stated quietly, “I think you’ll really like it up in the mountains.” There was a quiet smile that hadn’t left his face for most of the day.

She turned her face towards him and he saw the light pink color high in her cheeks. “Thanks for asking me. I’m so nervous about going camping and hiking but I can’t wait,” she said, her voice filled with excitement. Her lips parted into a smile that lit her whole face with the wonder of a kid at Christmas.

\--------------------------------------------

The ride to Tahoe had started out fairly quiet, a nervous tension in the air between the two of them. By the time they’d reached the turnoff to take the road up to the cabin, she had Cody laughing with stories about peoples misconceptions of the blind and some of the strange or funny things that had happened to her. He pulled to a stop when he’d reached the one place they could park, half a mile from the cabin. “I hope you don’t mind the walk. We didn’t cut any of the trees down to make way for vehicles, so there’s no way to get anything other than a dirt bike or snowmobile up there.”

She smiled, “I don’t mind at all. I need to stretch my legs anyway.” She reached for the door handle and slipped out of the truck. Cody followed suit and pushed back the seat to get to their bags. He saw her coming around the end of the truck, her hand trailing along the top of the bed, “Let me carry something,” she said holding out a hand.

Cody hadn’t planned on letting her carry anything but there was a look on her features that said if he tried to, she’d make him pay for trying to be chivalrous as well as stupid. He placed the handles of the paper bag into her fingers, it being the lightest of the three. He slipped the other two bags over his shoulders, letting them settle against his side. It was close to dark and he wanted to get up to the cabin as soon as possible. 

She reached forward and slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and he stepped away from the truck, turning her so they were headed in the right direction. It only took them twenty minutes to walk the distance. She was quiet during that time, listening to everything around her. Cody remained quiet as well, letting her take her time to familiarize herself with the sounds and scents of ‘his world’.

As he brought her up to the steps of the cabin, dusk had finally settled in and the air was becoming noticeably colder. “Here we are,” he stated. “Three steps up then about four steps to the door,” he instructed her as he set foot on the first step, her hand still holding to his arm. He watched her face intently trying to gauge her reaction to this new world for her. 

When they’d reached the door, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. If he was in the area or down at the station, he never locked it up but being gone for a week at a time, he didn’t like taking chances. Fitting the key into the old lock, he turned it and the door latch popped up on the inside and he pushed the door open. “Home sweet home,” he said with a bit of mirth to his voice. Placing a hand on her back, he directed her into the cabin, closing the door behind them.

“Wow,” she stated softly, “All the smells and sounds up here…it’s going to take some getting used to.” Her cheeks were rosy from the cold air outside. “You were right about the cold nights. I think I could feel my breath freezing to my lips.”

Cody moved away from her a little, taking the paper bag from her fingers. He set it down along with the two duffle bags. “I’m going to start a fire. Go ahead and explore if you want. It’ll take a little bit to get it warmed up in here then I’ll fix us something for supper.” 

She smiled almost shyly, “You sure? Don’t want to knock anything off and break it.”

He chuckled a little heartier now. “We get earthquakes up here from time to time. Almost all of our stuff is pretty well tested for breakage, so don’t worry about it.”

Bella raised an eyebrow at the earthquake comment but said nothing else. She turned to touch the wall next to the door they’d just come through and with one hand in front of her and one on the wall, she began to slowly explore. Cody worked to get the fire going then disappeared into the kitchen to start the stove in there. 

She took her time, going slowly around the main living room. When she encountered something, she let he fingers trace the object until she was able to identify what it was, where it was and how big, then she’d move on. She listened to Cody move around the cabin as he lit lamps for himself and banged around in the kitchen a little as he started something for supper on the stove.

“Do you want coffee or tea?” he asked her from the kitchen doorway. 

“I’ll have whatever you are. I don’t mind either,” came her answer as she began to explore the bookshelf. She picked up each trinket or memory lying about, her fingers tracing over the edges of feathers or an arrowhead. She found an animal skull on one of the shelves and though it didn’t scare her, she put it down with a slight shudder. She always had a little bit of a problem with ‘dead’ things.

Cody called from the kitchen again, “Is there anything you’re allergic to or won’t eat?” He’d never gotten a chance to ask her yet.

“I won’t eat tripe, ludifisk or pickled herring, but otherwise I’ll try anything once. And no, I’m not allergic to anything that I know of.” He could hear the sound of amusement in her voice.

“Damned, there goes dinner then. I had several jars of pickled herring I was going to serve up,” he teased back lightly.

“Feel free to eat all of that you want but I’d have to eat your birthday cake then all by myself to give me enough energy for tomorrow,” she teased right back. She had an idea of what he was making already by the smells from the kitchen but she played along.

She heard Cody come into the doorway, “Did you say cake?” he asked in a mock ‘excited’ child like tone.

“Maybe…,” she said teasingly.

“Fine…no pickled herring. How do pork chops and fried potatoes sound?”

She smiled warmly in his direction, “Sounds delicious,” she said enthusiastically. 

He disappeared into the kitchen again and continued fixing supper. She turned back to her exploration of his world, one touch at a time.

\--------------------------------------------

Supper had been quite delicious and after helping him wash dishes and put things away for the evening, she went over to the paper bag and pulled out the Tupperware container in the bottom. “I know you’re birthday is tomorrow but…since you made it sound like we might be camping, I figured we could celebrate a ‘little’ early with this.”

She handed the container to him and he opened it and looked inside. There sat a chocolate cake with what smelled like chocolate raspberry icing. “How did you know?” he asked, wondering how she figured out what his favorite flavor combination was.

She pursed her lips, trying to keep from laughing at his expense. “You forget. I have a mind like a steel trap. You shared a piece of a raspberry flavored chocolate bar with me that one time during class. Whenever the ice cream shop would have raspberry ice cream, though it wasn’t as often as you probably would have liked, you got a scoop of that and a scoop of chocolate. You’re not as mysterious as you think you are.”

He was quiet for a long moment, “You know it’s strange. You figured it out but my family never could.”

Bella touched his arm, “Cody, sometimes it’s hard for family to see something that’s right in front of them. They are around you so often that they take what they see for granted, not really thinking about it. Of course, I have ulterior motives for figuring out what you like,” she said with an impish tone to her voice.

Cody raised an eyebrow, “Oh really? And why would that be?” he asked.

She blushed, “Oh, maybe it has something to do laying out a trail of goodies in hopes you’ll follow me home.” 

The sudden look of embarrassment on her face after she’d spoken almost caused Cody to choke on his laughter. She’d slapped a hand over her mouth, her face turning a dark shade of red, causing her to look away.

He stepped over to her and turned her face towards him, “Is that so?” He leaned down to gently kiss her lips, “I’d follow you home anytime you want,” he said gently against her lips. He kissed her again and then moved away, “So…shall we eat cake?” he said with a grin to his face.

\--------------------------------------------

Bella woke with a start. She was in a new place and it confused her for a moment as she tried to get her bearings. She felt warmth against her back and suddenly remembered that the two of them had sat in front of the fire, simply cuddled up in sleeping bags. She’d fallen asleep shortly after they’d settled and it seemed he had too.

She blushed and bit her lip to keep from smiling like a fool but she couldn’t remember the last time she’d gotten a peaceful nights sleep. Was it because he was next to her or was it because of the silence up here on the mountain, away from any population of people and the noise pollution? She took in a slow breath and let it out. Today was his birthday and she wanted to make it special. Shifting a little, she moved out from under his arm and slowly made her way to her duffle bag where she unzipped it and riffled around in the bottom until she found the present she’d brought with her. 

She made her way over to him and set it down in front of him and then moved away. She had to use the facilities. The coolness in the air had made the need even greater. She walked across the floor, counting her footsteps until she came to the bathroom door. Once she was finished and had warmed up her hands a little under the hot water, she made her way into the kitchen. She slowly and quietly began to search for what she needed to make him breakfast and after a few minutes of shuffling things around on the table, she started putting it all together.

She was almost done with the pancakes when she heard Cody shuffling across the floor. A yawn followed and she heard him disappear into the bathroom and a few minutes later he came out, sounding a little more awake.

“Good morning,” he said as he peeked into the kitchen.

She faced him a little, “Good morning. Happy Birthday. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes.”

Cody yawned again and stretched before heading to where the sleeping bags were in a rumpled pile. As he began to pick them up to get them packed for their trip, something small fell out and onto the ground. He bent over and picked it up, seeing that it was obviously a present and a small tag was on it that had his name. He set down the sleeping bag and walked towards the kitchen.

“Bella? What’s this?” It was a stupid question and he knew the answer but he wanted to hear it from her.

“Looks like something wrapped up in pretty paper,” she responded. “Maybe you should open it.”

Cody looked at her dubiously and then unwrapped it slowly. Inside the paper was a white box like one would see jewelry in. He took the lid off and then removed the cotton square off the top. Underneath sat a silver star inside of a circle with the words Texas Ranger etched into it. He picked it up out of the box and stared at it. It was old and one of the points of the star was bent in like it had been shot.

She spoke up then, “That is one of the earlier styles of Texas Ranger badges. They made them usually out of Mexican silver coins, reshaped into badges by a metal or gun smith. This one has a little history. It’s the first badge that Captain Bill McDonald wore in 1898. He’s the one that coined the phrase ‘One riot, one ranger.’ Anyway, the story goes, he went into a small town to take a young Mexican man into custody for stealing cattle. It’s said the young man got a hold of an old black powder pistol that could only fire one shot before having to be reloaded. He’d taken a shot at McDonald and missed. When he reloaded to take another shot, he didn’t realize that he hadn’t used a full plug of powder. The gun fired and the ball hit McDonalds star, denting it. There just wasn’t enough behind it to do more than that.”

She was blushing now, having rambled on about this one thing, not even sure he liked it. As the silence grew, she began to fidget, feeling uneasy. He didn’t like it…maybe it wasn’t something …. She heard him move and realized a moment too late that he was wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a deep kiss. Thank god he had a hold of her because she would have been a puddle by the time he got done. It took her a moment to gather her wits then she leaned into the kiss.

He was breathing pretty hard by the time they’d parted and she wasn’t breathing at all. He’s stolen her breath away. Her heart hammered in her ears and she clung to him, knowing her knees wouldn’t support her at the moment.

“Thank you Bella. This is…this…,” he seemed unable to finish his sentence, “How did you…I mean, where did you…”

She smiled impishly. “Remember? I listen. You like to talk about history especially American Western history. So what better thing to give you than a piece of history? I take it…that you like it?” she asked hesitantly.

“Like it? I’m speechless…well, almost. This is fantastic,” he said as he admired the star again. 

“Good. The authentication certificate and information on its history is back at my apartment. I’ll get it to you when we get back to Reno,” she said, a feeling of giddiness wrapping around her. She’d managed to make this a great birthday so far and one he wouldn’t forget too soon she ventured. “Besides, what would a future Ranger be without a star?”

TBC ---


	13. Chapter 13

By mid-morning, Cody had saddled both Cooper and Copper. He got their packed saddle bags and sleeping bags secured to the back of the saddles. The last thing to be strapped on was the fly fishing rods that could be, thankfully, taken apart for easy transport. Bella freely admitted that it had been years since she was up on the back of a horse and even then it had been going in circles in a closed arena. He assured her that he’d have Cooper on a lead and all she had to do was hang on. 

She chuckled at that, “Hang on? Why do I have a feeling I’m going to be one hurting unit by the time we get to wherever you’ve got in mind?” She was standing next to Cooper, waiting for Cody to help her up into the saddle for the first time. Once she was familiar with it and the stirrups were set at the proper length for her, she’d be able to get on and off by herself.

She felt his hands on hers guiding them to the places on the saddle she was to use to help boost herself up. “Raise your left foot,” came his voice from a little below and to the left of where she stood. 

Bella did as she was instructed and felt her foot actually lifted higher and settled into the stirrup. “On the count of three I’ll give you a boost then once you’re settled I’ll adjust your stirrups,” his voice said with a touch of mirth that made her almost hesitate.

He counted to three and she used her leg and arm muscles to get herself into the saddle. She felt him push upward on her foot and then let out a squeak as she felt his hand up under her ass, pushing her the rest of the way up so she could swing her right leg over the other side of the saddle. “Oh! My purity!” she stammered as she tried not to laugh.

She felt Cody at her knee and he began adjusting the stirrups, asking her if she was comfortable when he’d finished. She nodded at him, looking at the direction he was last in. “So why am I not riding up behind you?”

He chuckled, “Well, unless you like having the back of the saddle under your rear for the entire ride, this will be easier on you. Don’t worry. We’ll stop several times before we get there.”

Her only response was a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk. She heard the creak of his own saddle as he boosted himself up to sit on Copper. Her horse shifted under her and she rocked her hips forward a little to settle into the saddle a little deeper. She gripped the saddle horn with her left hand as Cooper took a few steps when Cody pulled on his lead to bring him even with his own horse.

“You ready?” he asked her gently.

She nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

\--------------------------------------------

‘As ready as I’ll ever be.’ Those words were haunting her by the first stop they’d made. It had taken her an hour to get used to shifting and moving ‘with’ the horse. This was nothing like riding around in circles in an arena. They went up hills, back down along trails and over rocky ground. She had to heavily rely on Cody to tell her when to lean forward in the saddle or to lean back. Otherwise, all she could do was hang on and hope that she’d get used to this sooner rather than later. She was in great shape but her thigh and butt muscles hurt!

Cody brought them to a stop at a stream to water the horses and gave them a chance to do some fishing. He got the feeling that Bella needed to get out of the saddle for a bit and stretch. He knew that she was using an entirely different set of muscles than she did when she was dancing and could sympathize a little with her discomfort. After being out of the saddle for several years while he’d been in San Francisco, he was a hurting puppy after getting in the saddle again. It had taken him a few days to get his muscles back into shape.

He swung his leg over the back of the saddle and dropped down to the ground. As he tied up the horses, he watched as Bella worked to swing her leg over the back of the saddle. Thankfully he was at her side when she realized she was ‘stuck’. Her sore leg muscles wouldn’t let her lift her right leg high enough to get it over the back of the western saddle and she winced. “Uhm…help?” she called out to Cody.

She felt strong hands grab her waist and lift her a little, “Bend your leg at the knee and bring it up to your chest,” he instructed her. 

Bella did as she was told and felt her leg come free of the back of the saddle and then she felt him lift her down as she straightened it out. She was glad he had a hold on her waist or she would have collapsed into a wobbly legged heap right there under the horse. She let out a groan of discomfort, then heard him chuckle. “It’s not funny…,” she said pouting a little. 

“Sorry. I get a kick out of torturing unsuspecting flatlanders,” came his voice next to her ear. He felt her shiver and felt her lean a little into his hands still around her waist.

“Flatlander am I? Well, we’ll just see about that,” she said as she got her legs to stop shaking somewhat and pulled out of his grip. 

He pursed his lips, trying not to laugh. He stood there watching her as she worked to pull off her gear, preparing to take the saddle off to let her horse cool down. He had to admit that he loved it when she got ‘stubborn’ about something. She never let her lack of sight keep her from doing what she wanted. He loved her for it and for many other reasons. He wondered if he had the courage to tell her how he really felt.

Leaving Bella to her self appointed task, he took care of his horse and after making sure the saddles, blankets and gear were stored somewhere dry and out of the way, he assembled the fishing poles. As he worked, his eyes followed her as she explored her surroundings. “Ever been fishing before?” he asked casually.

She lifted her head and turned towards the sound of his voice. She shook her head, “No. Why?”

“Cause I figured I’d show you how to do some fly fishing. You interested?” His mind flashed back to teaching Haley and how she’d caught his ear on the end of the hook. The worst part of that encounter was the embarrassment of having to have his dad pull the hook out with a pair of pliers in front of her and her dad, Buck.

Bella hesitated a moment, thinking it over. “I guess,” was all she said though the hesitant tone of her voice made it sound like she was pretty uncertain about the whole process involved.

Once the fishing poles were assembled, he walked over to her and took her elbow, guiding her gently up the stream to a wider area. The next two hours was an adventure in the ‘art’ of fishing. He had to patiently show her several times by taking her hands in his, how to pull the line in with one hand, then cast it back with the other hand while letting go of the line she’d just pulled in. Once Bella had the hang of it, very little conversation passed between them as he let her listen to the water, hear the ‘plop’ of the hook, bait and sinker hit the water each time. Only once did she snag her line on him, catching the sleeve of his flannel shirt. She’d stammered out an apology and almost quite. He convinced her to keep at it, that it just took practice.

When she caught her first fish, she’d let out a shriek of surprise when the line suddenly went taut and she seemed unable to get over her surprise that had caused her to freeze up. Cody laid his pole down and had trotted over, coming up behind her and took her hands, trying to guide her in how to reel in the fish. Finally the trout was dangling off the end of the line out of the water and after making sure she held the pole steady, he reached out and snagged the line, pulling the fish to where he could reach it.

The fish fought for its life, wiggling back and forth. “Put down the pole Bella and reach out your hands,” he instructed.

Doing as she was told, he put the wiggling fish into her hands, still holding the line so that if she let go of it, they’d not loose part of their supper. She squealed as her hands encountered the wet and ‘slimy’ fish. She’d handled dead fish but the kind already gutted and usually beheaded by then. This was an entirely different sensation as it wiggled and flipped from side to side, trying to escape her grasp.

Cody watched her, bursting out in laughter at the ‘gross’ face she made as she tried to hang onto the fish that she obviously wanted to let go of. “So, you gonna help me clean it tonight for supper?” he asked her jokingly.

With that, she let go of the fish and visibly shuddered. “I’ll help cook it but I think I draw the line of chopping off fish heads and pulling their guts out,” she said as she gave one of those slight ‘heebee jeebee’ shudder dances. She held her hands out as if afraid to touch anything now. This only caused Cody to laugh harder. 

“Not funny!” she groused at him with a frown.

“I’m sorry,” he said as he tried to get himself under control as he took the fish off the hook, “It’s just that you look so comical at the moment. For a woman that seems to not be afraid of anything, I think I just found your kryptonite.” With that, he advanced on her with the fish, making ‘scary monster’ noises. That caused her to shriek and move away. 

The chase was on!

\--------------------------------------------

With the smell of burning pine logs and cooked fish in her nose, she relaxed back against Cody who was propped against a saddle in the cave he’d brought them to. They’d just finished their supper of trout and canned green beans. It had been a busy day, full of new experiences, including being chased with a fish. 

She smiled as she thought back about that. It had ended when Cody’s own fishing pole and line that had been dropped when she’d caught her fish, began to whiz and head into the creek. He’d let out a yelp and put ‘her’ fish on the shore and grabbed up his pole. He’d reeled in another fat trout and after taking it off the hook, he put both fish on a chain to let them stay alive while they were anchored with a rock in the stream. He’d helped Bella clean up and the two had enjoyed a light lunch.

He hadn’t asked her to help him clean the fish and took care of that task before they moved on. He wrapped up the fish fillets, cleaned and beheaded in waxed paper he kept folded at the bottom of his saddle bags. With horses saddled and fishing poles broken back down, they headed out to find lodgings for the night. 

Bella found the second leg of their trip a little easier to handle though she was sore all over again by the time they’d stopped for the night. He’d taken her out to help find wood for the fire. While out doing this chore, he found the patch of clay near a small stream that he and his father had used in the past to bake fish in. He dug up a chunk of it and wrapped it in a piece of canvas. While at the stream, he led her farther down to a marshy area. He took her hands and put them on certain plants and explained what they were. With a little digging, they pulled up wild garlic and onion. Giving her these things to carry, he picked up the stack of wood they’d gathered earlier and with her hanging onto his belt loop, led her back up to the cave.

Cody was quiet as he started the fire going. Once it was burning fairly well, he put the lump of clay next to her and instructed her on how to shape it so they could bake the fish in it. With that, he headed back out to gather several more armloads of wood. 

Bella had gone to work, this being something she was quite familiar doing. When he’d returned, she helped him peel the small garlic and crush it up with the onions. It didn’t take much of either, both plants being quite potent. He pulled out a small container that held a mixture of salt, pepper and a few other herbs and rubbed the inside of the fish down before spreading the onion and garlic ‘paste’ between the two halves of each fish. With her help, they encased the fish in the clay and Cody placed them in the hot bed of coals, building the fire back up on top of it.

As they waited for their supper to cook, they passed the time with small talk as she asked what this or that noise was. He explained things to her, telling her stories about camping in this cave with his dad or brother. She listened carefully as he spoke about his family, hearing the nostalgic longing in his voice.

The cave grew quiet after he talked about the last time he’d been here. He’d stopped talking then, becoming lost in his own thoughts. Bella got up and made her way to the other side of the fire, using her outstretched hand to find him as he reached up and took it, guiding her to the horse blanket he sat on. She took a chance and leaned back against him. “Tell me what happened between you three.”

He blinked and she felt his muscles tense. “What happened?” he asked, as if trying to play dumb.

She turned her face towards his, “Every time you talk about your childhood and your memories of your dad and brother, you sound happy, relaxed. But when you talk about something that only happened a few years ago, your voice becomes strained, tense as if the memories lead to others that cause you pain.”

Cody was silent for a long time, not sure what to tell her. Taking a slow breath, he began telling her how they’d ended up in San Francisco with his brother in the hospital. When the bills began to accumulate and Cody knew that the insurance his brother had wouldn’t cover all of his expenses, he talked his dad into doing a little bounty hunting. He explained how he’d pitched the idea to Matt and once he was on board, they ‘ganged up’ on their dad. Strangely enough, it hadn’t taken much to convince him to give it a try.

He talked a little about their continued work on the warehouse, the three of them eventually making enough to pay off the hospital bills for Matt and to put down the money to buy the warehouse outright to make it their headquarters for the ‘family’ business as well as it being a place to live. He expressed to her his frustration at how they left him out of many of the investigations since he was ‘too young’ and ‘inexperienced’ with living in a city and dealing with criminals. It didn’t matter that Cody was a fast learner and had no problem navigating the city after awhile or how to track things down, such as people or information. 

Bella listened quietly as Cody explained his frustration at being ‘ignored’ in a way. Sure, he got to help out with investigations but usually in a way that kept him ‘out of trouble’. After the bank robbery that had gone bad and put his life in danger, it became even harder to get his dad or brother to include him in the cases they were working. He began learning how to do research using the computer, the library and the databases available to the public. Problem was, when he presented information to his dad or brother, he always got the sense that it was discounted somewhat.

Cody grew quiet then and Bella thought over what he’d said. “Let me put some things together here. You’re dad used to be in the Marines, was a Deputy Sheriff and founded the Rangers. He was raised around people and most of his working career was in a big city or near one. Matt was partially raised in Tahoe with his mother so he grew up in public schools and had even gone away to college on a football scholarship until his knee got busted. Both your dad and brother were federal cops with training and experience, but you were raised in the ‘wilderness’ and was just a ‘kid’ who didn’t know anything other than what books could tell you or so they thought. Am I close?”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much it. There were two instances where I’d given them research I’d done on the cases they were working and both times, they didn’t give it much credit. The first case caused the guy to slip through their hands and a few days later he got into a shootout with police and was killed, but not before injuring two officers. The second time caused dad to walk into an unknown situation and he got stabbed in the side for his troubles. It took him six weeks to recover from it.” Cody grew quiet again.

Bella listened as the crickets and small night sounds began to grow louder, feeling the cool air seeping into the cave. Cody took a moment to throw on a few more logs on the fire and then settled back next to her. 

“I get the feeling that those two instances are not the reason you left them, nor is it the reason you feel frustration and a bit of anger at one or both of them,” she said quietly, turning her face towards him.

He sighed, “You’d make a good detective,” he joked though it fell a little flat. She saw this only as a delay tactic as he tried to get the courage up to talk about it.

“The third incident, the one that made me leave…,” he hesitated, “…caused me to end up in the hospital with 2nd and 3rd degree burns on my back and legs. I also had three broken ribs and a severe concussion.” Cody grew quiet for a moment, thinking over what had happened. Some of it was still fuzzy and probably always would be. “Matt had problems with this one case. The guy was good at avoiding being caught and dad convinced Matt to leave it alone for awhile. Bored, I took up the file and began to do some leg work, trying to find out how this guy could get past Matt and dad, not once but three times. I found out from the file where he lived and took up residence on the roof of the building across the street. I spent several days on and off watching for him. I got pictures of him going into the building but never seeming to come out. Finally, I got a lucky break and saw him going down the back alley behind the building, heading in the opposite direction.” He paused, stirring the coals a little with a stick.

“So I took up position on different roof tops, the ones I had access to around the building and got more photos of him coming out of a sewer grate. But I also saw him taking things out with him and saw several deliveries of what might have been chemicals to a basement window. I took what pictures I could and finally developed them, zooming in on specific details. I presented my findings to Matt and dad…they jumped on it but didn’t seem to pay much attention to the information about the deliveries, chalking it up to being deliveries of drugs…or stolen goods. I got to go with them but only to watch the front door to make sure he didn’t try and come out that way. I took up position next to the stairs on the street level, leaning against the front of the building like I belonged there….” His voice trailed off.

When he spoke again, it was with an almost detached sound. “I don’t remember much after that. Matt and dad had gone around back to go down through the sewer grate. The next thing I knew, I heard them shouting, then heard gunshots, more yelling…then a roaring noise. I remember feeling as if I’d been picked up and thrown by some unseen force. In reality, I had been. There was a drug lab in the basement near the front of the building since that was where they could hook up the stove pipes to vent out the top of the roof. I was standing right in front of it on the outside. It had been booby trapped and Matt had apparently triggered it trying to get to the guy who was fleeing up the stairs from the basement. It blew part of the front of the building off. The trap had set several of the chemicals on fire that were blown upward and outward with the building front. Some of it landed on my clothes that caught on fire…I don’t really remember much of anything until I woke up in the hospital two days later.”

He stopped as he felt her shudder, “Oh god…,” she whispered. 

She felt him shrug a little, “I was a few days from being let out of the hospital when Matt and I finally had words. It got pretty nasty. I got pretty verbal with him. I hurt, I was angry, I still couldn’t focus on anything because of the results of the concussion but I did know I had to make it clear to him that I was done and that he and dad had taken my suggestion of doing the bounty hunting to make money to pay bills too far. Above all else, I was incredibly homesick. Matt left when the staff threatened to call the cops. I didn’t know my dad had come to the hospital and was in the hallway outside my room for about half of the yelling match. When Matt stormed out, my dad came in and simply gave me a look of hurt disappointment but one that made me feel about three inches tall. He came over, kissed my cheek and left. After that, I took matters into my own hands, called Frank and Robin at the station, told them I wanted to come home and to come get me. They did and when the doctor released me, I checked myself out and they were both there to take me back to Tahoe. I spent three months at the station, recovering, so they could keep an eye on me. I hadn’t seen Matt or my dad before I left. I guess dad showed up at the hospital only to find I was already gone. I’d left him a note though to say I’d gone back to Tahoe. If he wanted to see me, he’d have to come visit me there. I wasn’t coming back. I haven’t and I didn’t see either of them until Christmas that year. By then I’d already started school at the University and was on winter break.” Cody grew quiet after that.

Bella was quiet, not saying anything. She shifted against him, turning her body towards him, her hands searching him out as she held his face then and gently kissed him. She kissed his lips, then his cheeks, moving to kiss his forehead and then his lips again. She felt him return her kiss as his arms slipped around her pulled her closer. She felt him shaking a little at the memories he’d dug back up. “I’m sorry,” was all she could say to him. 

They’d eaten their fish in silence later that night and now they sat in front of the fire together, wrapped in a blanket, simply comforting each other against the cold night air and the memories of the past.

TBC ---


	14. Chapter 14

The next morning found Cody up early and fixing them breakfast. They’d fallen asleep together again as if it came naturally to both of them. He had to admit that he enjoyed the sensation of her in his arms, enjoyed waking up next to her and seeing how peaceful she looked. There was no strain on her face from trying to be aware of all that was around her at all times. She hadn’t stirred the entire night and was still out for the count when he finally had to wake her for breakfast. 

She was groggy for the first ten minutes as she finally got acclimated to her surroundings again. She didn’t say anything when he put a plate of food in her hands. She ate slowly, drinking from the canteen they’d filled the night before. Finally towards the end of the meal, she spoke up.

“What’s the plan for today?” Her words were punctuated by a yawn at the end. 

Cody smiled at the ‘blurry eyed’ look she gave him as she used one hand to rub the sleep out of them. “I figured we’d take care of our project research, have lunch at a favorite spot of mine and then go to the Ranger Station for the night. Everyone wants to meet you and I figured you might enjoy meeting them in return.”

She faced his direction, “You’re going to drag me in front of your friends and your boss, looking and smelling like I do?” she asked with a slight raise of an eyebrow.

He chuckled, “Well if you’re that concerned with how you look and smell I know of a nice stream not far from here. But…it comes down off the snow pack so it’s only a few degrees above freezing.”

She visibly shuddered. “Uh…as long as I can wash my face and hands, and brush my teeth I guess I would feel a little more…presentable,” she grumbled playfully. The thought of taking a bath in a stream that was close to freezing made her want to simply crawl back between the sleeping bags and not come out again.

Cody could only chuckle as he began to break down camp so they could get on their way.

\--------------------------------------------

The morning progressed with a lazy feel to it as Cody took Bella to the area he’d had in mind to research their project from. They spent the better part of the morning collecting data and discussing particular points on what they were finding. Cody had brought his camera and was taking pictures of some of their discoveries and of Bella though she didn’t know it. 

By late morning he had them back in the saddle and was taking her to a place he knew she’d find fascinating. He figured they’d stop and have lunch there, explore a little and then make their way down to the station for supper and showers. He stopped short of their destination and pulled Copper up close to Cooper. He leaned over towards her and whispered. “To your left are several elk, about fifty feet away. Tell me what you can sense from them….”

She was silent as she turned her head to the left and used her senses to stretch out towards them, trying to glean what she could. “There’s a musky smell…,” she whispered and then was silent again as she listened. “Sounds like their eating, don’t care or know that we’re here. They aren’t making an attempt to be quiet.”

Cody smiled warmly as he watched her as she tried to get a sense of the elk nearby. “Not bad. They ware mostly watching us while the calves continue to eat.” He observed the bull elk and the does with their calves watched them with alertness but there was no sign of aggressive behavior so Cody didn’t worry about their safety at the moment. He leaned over and told Bella a little about elk and their social order. 

Bella smiled softly, her cheeks pink from the cool air and light breeze. She seemed intent on studying what she could about the elk near them. Finally she felt Cody shift away and the two of them turned, heading towards their next stop. The terrain turned from forested to rocky hills. The horses hooves echoed through the large boulder field that Cody was leading them through. Once he reached the spot he’d been thinking of, he slid out of his saddle and helped Bella out of hers.

“Keep hold of my hand for now. There’s a drop off here and I don’t want you getting too close to the edge,” he said quietly to her. 

“Where are we?” she asked curiously.

“Echo point. There’s a deep chasm below us that trails out into the canyon farther on. I used to love coming here as a kid. It was the one place I felt I could be as loud as I wanted to without fear of disturbing anyone or anything.” He wrapped his arms around her from behind and spoke into her ear. He felt her lean back a little bit against him.

She smiled, “You? Loud? This I’ve got to hear,” she teased him lightly. He had always been calm around her, never raising his voice except when something struck him as funny.

He chuckled, “If you insist,” he said with the sound of a slight smirk to his voice. She felt him pull away from her and move to her side though he never let go of her hand. He walked her a few more steps forward before stopping. He took a deep breath and used his free hand to cup the side of his mouth. “HELLO!” he shouted.

The echo’s that bounced back to them was multiple and in varying degrees of volume. Finally it died away and the silence was once again surrounding them.

Bella turned her face towards Cody, smiling. “Fantastic! Let me try,” she said as she turned back. She took in a deep breath and shouted, “ECHO!” and then giggled as the multiple voices came back to them, bouncing around from rock to rock before fading.

“Amateur,” accused Cody as he chuckled. He took a deep breath and shouted, “I LOVE YOU!” The echo’s varied of repeating You and Love, combining them, repeating, over riding the others. He felt her grip his hand a little tighter when she finally understood the full meaning of what he’d shouted.

Her face turned a darker shade of pink and her ears even colored some. She seemed at a loss of words for a moment as if trying to get over a strong bought of shyness. She finally took in a breath and shouted, “CODY HAS MY HEART!”

The wind swirled the echo up and around the two of them standing at the edge of the barren landscape. Her face had a deep flush that ran down her neck as she suddenly went shy again, unsure of what to say next. 

Cody guided her over to a place to sit and without much else said set out their lunch. He sat down next to her, taking one of her hands and kissing the back of it before leaning in to kiss the corner of her mouth. She turned her head towards him and he captured her lips. He could sense the restrained hunger and passion behind her kiss. When they finally parted, he was out of breath as if she’d stolen it away. They ate in silence then and listened to the wind howl through the rocks and canyons. 

\--------------------------------------------

Bella was sore again by the time the hooves of the horses hit blacktop and clip clopped across a decent sized expanse of it. “I take it we’re there?” she asked hesitantly. The evening was approaching and though it was a little warmer this far down the mountainside the cool wind still blew off the tops of them as the sun began to sink in the west.

“Yup. I’ll get us to the barn so we can unsaddle the horses and get them settled for the night. I’d thought of dropping you off at the station but I think you might get politely interrogated before I could get inside.” He chuckled at the thought of what the others were going to make of her. He’d never once told them she was blind. They knew she danced and was in one of Cody’s classes but that was about the extent of it.

Bella laughed. “This way’s probably for the best. All I can think about right now is how good a hot shower will feel,” she said with a grin on her face that caused her nose to wrinkle upwards.

Cody groaned, “No kidding. I think I’ve gotten soft in my ‘old age’. Used to be I could bathe in streams and the lake without noticing how cold it was. Now, I don’t even want to contemplate it unless I have to.”

This brought a laugh from Bella. “What? My mountain man going soft? Never,” she teased as they reached the barn and dismounted. 

Within a few minutes, they had the horses unsaddled, rubbed down and in stalls with a measure of grain and hay along with fresh water. Cody put the saddles on the racks and then helped Bella gather up their saddle bags and gear. Soon enough, they were heading towards the station. Cody guided her through the front door of the station and into the main area where four sets of eyes turned to look at them.

“Hey Cody! Happy Birthday!” came a woman’s voice. “And who is this lovely lady with you?” asked the voice.

Cody took the saddle bags from Bella and set their gear aside. “This is Bella Wagner. She’s in one of my classes,” he said almost sounding shy.

Bella turned her face towards Robin, her eyes half hidden behind the shaded glasses she’d put on out in the barn. She held out a hand towards where the woman’s voice was, “It’s nice to meet you.”

She felt her hand taken and shook, “I’m Robin. Nice to finally meet you. Cody told us you dance professional ballroom dance and you won your last competition.”

Bella blushed and nodded, letting go of the hand. “Yes I do. So, how far along are you?” she asked, looking downward a little as if to give meaning to what Bella was asking about.

“About twenty weeks. Feels like two hundred,” joked Robin with a slight groan.

“Stop hogging her all to your self Robin just because she’s a girl,” came a joking voice from the left of Robin. “Since Cody forgot his manners I’ll have to introduce myself. I’m Frank Avila.”

Bella turned towards his voice and smiled, holding out her hand, “The chopper pilot, White Eagle,” she stated as she felt her hand taken. 

There was a soft chuckle, “I’ll kick Cody’s butt later for telling stories on us.”

Cody took her elbow a little, turning her to the right, “Over there’s my boss, Captain Tucker. Behind him is the newest rookie, Jake.”

Bella raised her hand a little to wave in acknowledgement. “Hi. Nice to meet all of you finally. Don’t worry, Cody hasn’t told me too many stories about you guys. I take it Izzy isn’t here?” she asked. “I wanted to try some of his infamous ‘coffee’.”

There was a choking laugh from Franks direction, “Uh, he’s got the next two days off. Count yourself lucky. We do.”

Robin chuckled, “You guys are just in time for supper. It’ll be about twenty more minutes or so if you two want to get cleaned up. I’m going to assume you’ll be staying overnight?” she asked Cody curiously.

“Yeah, figured we’d head back to the cabin in the morning so we can get back to school,” he said casually. He leaned down and picked up their gear and took Bella’s elbow to guide her to the stairs. As they approached the stairs, he whispered in her ear, “Ten steps, third door on your right.”

She smiled and nodded, heading up the stairs, counting them as she went. Cody waited till she was up at the top and then turned to look at the other four. 

Frank was smirking playfully, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

Tucker smacked Frank on the back of the head. “That doesn’t leave much Frank. We know what you’re like.” He turned and looked at Cody, “See you down here for supper.”

Cody nodded and chuckled, giving Frank an ‘oh really’ look before heading upstairs.

\--------------------------------------------

It took the Rangers till half way through the meal before Robin finally spoke up about her curiosity in the way Bella acted. She’d been watching her and found it odd she was wearing shaded glasses when it was dark outside. “Bella, don’t take this the wrong way but do you…have a problem with your eyesight?”

Bella blinked and turned her head to look at Cody, “You didn’t tell them?” she asked with a little surprise to her voice.

Cody shrugged, “Didn’t think about it.”

Robin looked back and forth between the two. She caught the slight blush on Bella’s features as she turned her face back towards the other woman.

“I guess you could call it a problem with my eyesight. I’ve been blind since birth. The optic nerve never developed apparently. Everything works fine, just no connection between eyes and brain,” she explained casually.

There was silence for a few moments until Frank spoke up, “Wow. Let’s just say you had all of us fooled. You’re quite good at faking it,” he stated.

Bella chuckled as she heard Cody reach over and hit Frank on the arm. “I had ‘lessons’ as a little kid on how to act like someone who could see. My parents didn’t want me embarrassing them.” She shrugged and took another bite of her food.

Jake finally spoke up, “I guess it’s better than lacking a connection between your mouth and brain like Frank has,” he said in a teasing manner. 

The rest of the dinner conversation deteriorated from there until the ‘men’ were kicked out of the kitchen so Robin and Bella could do the dishes. The guys wondered what all the giggling was about in the kitchen and Tucker could only laugh at how red Cody’s face was as he worried about what the two were talking about. The only thing he’d managed to stammer out about his weekend was to tell about the birthday present he’d received.

Bella came out of the kitchen finally and found her way to the couch where Cody was sprawled in a corner. She sat down next to him before stretching out and laying her head against him. She felt the warmth from the small fire in the fireplace and listened to the others as they went about finishing up their day before turning in for the night. 

Tucker came out of his office an hour later when things were too quiet and found that only Cody and Bella were left in the living room. Both were sound asleep and not having the heart to wake them up, he pulled a blanket off of another chair and draped it over the two before heading upstairs himself. He liked Bella and could see the deep bond between the two that was forming. He could only pray that it was something that would last and could heal old wounds. 

\- Fin -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was meant to 'set the scene' for future 'books' in this series as well as introduce Bella onto the scene. I wanted to make sure I had the background set up as to where everyone was as far as where Matt and Jesse were, how the Rangers were and following what timeline/background with the TV shows. There is a second part to this in the works. 
> 
> If you liked this story, please let me know. Comments fuel the muse.


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